‘Abhorrent racist graffiti’ spray painted onto football field house
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The city is launching an investigation and clean-up efforts after “abhorrent racist graffiti” was spray-painted onto a football field house.
The football field is used by the Southside Bears, a local youth organization that gets kids of all ages in the neighborhood together. Inside the building is all the equipment, but on now on the outside are hate symbols and racist slang covering almost every corner.
Police are asking for help identifying the tagger who vandalized the building in Quarry Field on the South Side Slopes. Police say the tag “Orez” was painted in the same color paint.
Department of Public Works is cleaning and covering the grafitti, and the city says officials will launch an effort to fund a full restoration.
The group had just raised money to repaint the building with a mural less than two years ago.
“Disgusting and hateful actions like these have no place in our city and will not be tolerated. Law enforcement will work to identify and prosecute whoever did this to the fullest extent of the law,” Mayor William Peduto said in a press release.
Kevin Alton, the president of the Southside Bears, says he hopes the vandalism doesn’t turn into anything more. He doesn’t want to be scared to come and enjoy a park.
It’s not the first time graffiti has covered the building — but it is the first time the messaging has contained hateful words.
“I would just like to say that we are not going anywhere and we are still going to take every kid and not preach hate, we don’t teach hate. This is a family environment and for the people who did this, I wish once we get it fixed up you don’t come back and do it again,” said Alton.
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