Local leaders, Coney Island community members outraged after swastika flag seen hanging on wall inside apartment

Residents of the Amalgamated Warbasse Houses say the flag was spotted Saturday, creating panic and concern in the community, where many residents are descendants of Holocaust survivors.

News 12 Staff

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Jan 3, 2021, 10:52 PM

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Updated 1,452 days ago

Local leaders in Coney Island and the Warbasse Jewish Heritage Congregation say they are outraged after a flag of a swastika was seen hanging on the wall inside a nearby apartment.

Residents of the Amalgamated Warbasse Houses say the flag was spotted Saturday, creating panic and concern in the community, where many residents are descendants of Holocaust survivors.

Helen Haberman is a Holocaust survivor herself who says seeing the flag opens old wounds.

Now she and other community members are coming together to build solidarity and to condemn what they say is a symbol of hate.

Councilman Mark Treyger says he contacted NYPD to report the flag, but was told that a banner being displayed inside a home is not a crime.

Now he's hoping to prevent incidents like this from happening in the future through dialogue and education.

Community members say the flag has since been taken down, but they're hoping that by speaking out, this won't happen again.

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