Auburn University became the site of antisemitic defacement after individuals used graffiti to inscribe the slogan popular to the Hamas movement: “From the River to the Sea” on the bricks at Toomer’s Corner. There were additional pro-Hamas messages written on the ground of the area.
The phrase calls for the elimination of Israel by advocating for Palestinian control over the entire territory from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, which would erase the Jewish state. Today is the one year anniversary of the beginning of a brutal attack by terrorist group Hamas on Israel.
Yo @AuburnU @CityofAuburnAL you just going to allow terrorists destroy property or you going to do something about it. @coachbrucepearl pic.twitter.com/yz0bSmZBKU
— GKIRBO (@gkirbo_hbk) October 6, 2024
AUFAMILY, one of the largest social media profiles associated with the university, wrote ‘Not on our campus’ in response to the incident and the quick cleanup of the area.
Not on our campus. Thank you to @AuburnFM @COAPublicSafety @AuburnSafety and those who went to Toomer’s Corner to peacefully diffuse and clean up the protest. ???? pic.twitter.com/3xxqAWJSwP
— AUFAMILY (@AUFAMILY) October 7, 2024
Jacqui Pearl, daughter of Auburn basketball head coach Bruce Pearl, was particularly disappointed with the timing of the graffiti given that today is the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ violent attack on Israel.
To do this on the eve of October 7 is inflammatory and done with ill intent. Those defending the message, claiming it’s ’just chalk and can be washed away’ are willfully ignorant. You must be exhausted from all the mental gymnastics you have to do to justify this. Am Yisrael Chai https://t.co/pBuLIOsYV5
— Jacqui Pearl (@JacquiPearl5) October 7, 2024
So far, law enforcement has not apprehended the persons responsible. Auburn police has said that they are continuing to investigate the incident.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow home on X @ShipleyAusten
