Atlanta’s renowned rainbow crosswalks – installed in 2017 to honor the LGTBQ+ community – in Midtown were vandalized on Wednesday, Aug. 17. Police are investigating.
City crews worked late to wash what was apparently a swastika painted on the crosswalks.
“Atlanta Police immediately notified the Mayor’s Office of the matter, then ATLDOT scrambled a crew—in the rain—to remove the disgusting act of vandalism from our street,” Mayor Andre Dicken’s Press Secretary Michael Smith said in a statement. “We thank the women and men of ATLDOT and APD for erasing the hate that has no place in our city in a such a swift and efficient manner.”
A Midtown Neighbors social media post said the description of the suspect who vandalized the crosswalk matches the description of a person who has also vandalized and damaged St. Mark’s Church.
In February, the crosswalks were damaged by apparent street racers, which led to metal plates being installed to prevent cars from doing doughnuts or spins in the intersection.