GREENWICH VILLAGE (PIX11) – A group of men destroyed LGBTQ Pride flags at the Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village over the weekend, police said on Monday.
The three suspects were walking past the national monument in Christopher Park around 3 a.m. on Saturday when they started breaking multiple LGBTQIA+ Pride flags that were displayed on a fence, according to the NYPD. They were last seen heading east on Waverly Place.
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the vandalism, which took place during Pride Month.
Stonewall riots: History behind Pride Month
The Stonewall National Monument was designated in 2016 by then-President Barack Obama. It’s the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights and history.
Days of rioting and protests against police raids at the Stonewall Inn, located across from Christopher Park, in 1969 are considered to be the catalyst of the modern-day LGBTQ rights movement.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
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