Someone vandalized the rainbow flag display on the Stonewall National Monument on Christopher Street, snapping the flag sticks and throwing them on the ground. If anyone thinks this is going to intimidate us or weaken our resolve, they’re mistaken. 🌈 👊 pic.twitter.com/sFdue8NrPG
— Erik Bottcher (@ebottcher) June 10, 2023
A 25-year-old man has been charged with criminal mischief and a ‘hate crime’ after he removed and damaged a number of LGBTQI+ pride flags placed on a fence in New York City’s West Village neighborhood in June.
Patrick Murphy is alleged to have engaged in a “criminal mischief pattern” alongside two other men by the city’s authorities after pride flags at the Stonewall National Monument were vandalized. Despite the months-long effort to locate and charge Murphy, the damage saw around only a dozen small LGBTQI+ and trans flags thrown onto the floor and several flag sticks broken.
New York City Councilor Erik Bottcher posted a number of photos of the small mess on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “If anyone thinks this is going to intimidate us or weaken our resolve, they’re mistaken.”