Multiple buildings on campus were graffitied with phrases including “Free Palestine” and “Long Live Intifada” sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning. According to Director of Campus Safety Services (CSS) Jeff Palmer, graffiti was found on Hopkins Hall, Paresky Center, the Davis Center, and other buildings, as well as several campus signs.
Following reports of the vandalism on Tuesday morning, CSS communicated with members of senior staff and the posting advisory group, Palmer wrote in an email to the Record. He added that CSS also contacted the Williamstown Police Department to ask if they had received any reports of vandalism off campus, which they had not.
“We are currently investigating the incident and would encourage anyone with knowledge to come speak with us,” Palmer wrote.
The graffiti comes a week after a table in Frosh Quad painted with American and Israeli flags was damaged and vandalized with antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiments. In an all-campus email on Nov. 4, President of the College Maud S. Mandel identified the incident as one of several recent “identity-based attacks on community members.”
CSS has coordinated with Facilities about removal of this week’s graffiti, Palmer wrote.
In an email to the Record, President of the College Maud S. Mandel wrote that the College was not planning to send all-campus communication about the incident.
“But it hasn’t been a standard Williams practice to send a campus message every time someone makes a report,” she wrote. “We responded by removing the flyers and graffiti.”
