ADL says it’s tracking group that took credit for State House vandalism
An anti-Zionist group claimed responsibility for the overnight vandalism at the State House gate Wednesday that drew a swarm of FBI agents to the scene, ADL New England reported.
"We are deeply concerned by the escalating activity of an extreme anti-Zionist group in Boston which has taken responsibility for last night's vandalism of the MA State House with paint and feces," ADL New England said in a social media post late Wednesday afternoon without specifying the name of the group.
"This is the same group that targeted an MIT professor and lab earlier this month," the post continued. "The ADL Center on Extremism is tracking this group and we are in touch with law enforcement. This threatening vandalism must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
White paint was splattered on the State House front gate, and black graffiti appeared to say "divest." Some activists have called on lawmakers to divest state pension funds from companies selling weapons to Israel, and a bill pursuing that policy had a hearing last week at the State House. Activists have also pushed divestment from firearm manufacturers, fossil fuel interests and more.
ADL New England and Massachusetts State Police did not immediately respond to News Service questions verifying the apparent group responsible for the vandalism. A spokesperson for the FBI Boston Division declined to comment.
A spokesperson for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston said the group responsible for the vandalism was Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation. Other graffiti scrawled on the State House gate appeared to include an acronym for the group, "DAMPL."
The JCRC spokesperson said DAMPL posted about the vandalism on Instagram , but that post was deleted "within hours." A video on the group's Instagram page appears to take credit for vandalism to the statue of George Washington in the Public Garden last month, an incident that also featured splattered white paint and spray-painted messages.
"The State House vandalism — claimed by an extremist anti-Zionist group — is deeply alarming," JCRC said in a tweet . "Grateful to MA leaders for condemning it and to @ADL_NewEngland for tracking this group."
Earlier this month, the ADL had reported that a "relatively new extreme anti-Zionist group claimed responsibility" for anti-Israel graffiti at MIT. The ADL social media post included a link to a JNS article , which identified the group as DAMPL. MIT President Sally Kornbluth also wrote the graffiti was signed by DAMPL, which she described as an "external entity."
Massachusetts State Police said they responded to vandalism at the state capitol at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.
"Preliminary information indicates that a suspect poured white paint on the gate and spray painted before fleeing into the Boston Common," State Police said Wednesday. "Crime Scene Services processed the scene and Troop H Detectives will continue to investigate the incident."
Gov. Maura Healey, House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka condemned the vandalism.
"There is absolutely no excuse for vandalism, at the State House or anywhere," the elected officials said in a joint statement. "We are grateful to the Massachusetts State Police and their local, state and federal partners for their quick response and efforts to identify those responsible."
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