Phoenix’s diverse neighborhood wakes up on June 19 to find swastikas and slurs on cars

Swastikas and racial slurs were found painted on the sides of several vehicles in a working-class, predominantly black and Latino neighborhood in east Phoenix on Wednesday, June 16, witnesses said.

Celleste Murtagh walked out her front door on Wednesday at around 7am and was greeted with the unpleasant sight of her neighbour’s vandalized vehicle. The car, parked in front of her residence, had been spray painted overnight, and the blurry attempt at a swastika left in the paint prompted Murtagh to call the police.

When officers arrived at the residence, they informed Murtagh that the same thing had happened to several vehicles in the neighborhood. At least three vehicles were spray-painted overnight, and people on at least two streets reported vandalism.

The Arizona Republic confirmed the reports with photos and contacted the Phoenix Police Department. There was still no response.

Murtagh describes his neighborhood, near 32nd Street and Thomas Road, as a diverse place with “all types of people,” brown, black, white, different religions, different identities, new and generational neighbors. For Murtagh, the symbols and messages were both disturbing and confusing, especially in his neighborhood.

According to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the neighborhood’s ZIP code is 58% Hispanic, 10% Black, and 2% Native American.

“In some ways, it’s weird and scary, but in other ways, it’s like, what a weird, cowardly move to do this in the middle of the night and it’s just disgusting and, I don’t know, in general it’s horrible. ” said Murtagh.

A few streets away from Murtagh, Carlos Garcia was leaving home when he saw that his vehicle had been vandalized. On the sides of his white sports car, in all-black spray paint, was a clear drawing of a swastika.

Someone painted the N-word next to the swastika, along with a profane message.

After midnight on Wednesday, Garcia described hearing a thud as he fell asleep.

“I chose to ignore it. I didn’t go out. Normally, when I hear something, I go out and check it out, normally there’s nothing out there, you know, so this time I ignored it,” Garcia said. “And then, look, this morning when I got up and saw the writing on my car. I’m just wondering who would do such a heinous thing?”

For Garcia, the vandalism had an even bigger impact than just the cost of repairing the painting.

“My son wants to go there and see,” Garcia said. “He’s 10 years old, I don’t want him to see this.”

Multiple reports were filed with Phoenix police, but there were no updates on the suspects.

June 19, or Juneteenth holiday, is celebrated to commemorate the end of slavery in the USA

Controversial support: All but one Republican member of the U.S. House from Arizona support restoring the Confederate memorial

This article originally appeared in the Arizona Republic: Phoenix’s diverse neighborhood wakes up to swastikas and slurs on June 19