Early morning on May 1, many locations on north campus were vandalized with spray paint. Non-residential buildings (including Parrish Hall), along with trees, walkways, and fences, were graffitied with pro-Palestinian messages and symbols, as well as language protesting Swarthmore’s Board of Managers. The Board is currently visiting campus for their quarterly meeting.
The vandalism took place in a 30-minute window around 3:30 a.m. on Friday, according to Vice President for Communications and Marketing Andy Hirsch. The Delco Times reported that the Swarthmore Police Department had been notified about the incidents and officers were on campus that morning.
Some of the graffiti included “Divest Now,” “Genocide,” “Board of Butchers,” “Gaza,” “Fuck Israel,” “BOM You Can’t Hide,” “Drop Cisco,” and upside-down red triangles, a symbol used in the pro-Palestine movement. In a message to the campus community, President Val Smith said there were “hundreds of acts of vandalism.”
Graffiti of upside-down red triangles and the phrases “Drop Cisco” and “BOM [Board of Managers] u can’t hide” on the porch of Parrish Hall. Phoenix Photo/James Shelton Graffiti on the wall of the tunnel through the middle of Kohlberg Hall reads, “Student Intifada.” Phoenix Photo/James Shelton Graffiti on the now removed mesh coverings for chain-link fences surrounding construction on Parrish Beach reads, “Genocide.” Phoenix Photo/James Shelton Graffiti on the walkway towards the main entrance of the Science Center reads, “fuck israel.” Phoenix Photo/James Shelton Graffiti on the east side of Beardsley Hall reads, from left to right, “Free Palestine” and “Free Gaza.” Phoenix Photo/James Shelton Graffiti on the now removed mesh coverings for chain-link fences surrounding construction on Parrish Beach reads, “Gaza.” Phoenix Photo/James Shelton Graffiti under the archway on the north side of Parrish Hall reads, “Drop Cisco.” Phoenix Photo/James Shelton Graffiti on a wooden table on Singer Porch is of an upside-down red triangle that signifies opposition to the Israeli military. Phoenix Photo/James Shelton Graffiti on the east wall of Kohlberg Hall reads, “Divest.” Phoenix Photo/James Shelton Graffiti sprayed onto the south side of Kohlberg Hall reads, “Board of Butchers.” Phoenix Photo/James Shelton
According to several staff members who spoke to The Phoenix Friday morning, the graffiti required significant work on the part of Facilities, Grounds, and Environmental Services (EVS) to remove the spray-paint from different parts of campus. Some of these workers were called in as early as 4:30 a.m., according to Hirsch.
Throughout the morning, students made their way as the sounds of pressure washers carried on; pathways were repainted; staff members and community members volunteering for Work Box scrubbed at trees to remove the red paint. Many workers expressed frustration about the paint not coming off easily and the hours that they had been out cleaning.
In email correspondence with The Phoenix, Hirsch said that some of the buildings and trees require special attention, and outside contractors will have to remove the paint. He also said that he did not know how long the entire removal process would take.
A community volunteer helps remove graffiti from a tree by scrubbing the bark with a brush. Phoenix Photo/James Shelton 
A staff member power washes the words “free Gaza” off a pillar outside the Science Center. Phoenix Photo/Devin Gibson 
A staff member scrubs the words “free Palestine” off the retaining wall outside of the Science Center. Phoenix Photo/Devin Gibson A staff member power washes the words “Break the Board” off the main entrance of LPAC. Phoenix Photo/Devin Gibson A grounds crew member power washes graffiti off a pillar next to the southwest tower of Kohlberg Hall. Phoenix Photo/James Shelton
In her community message, Smith condemned the vandalism and the individuals responsible.
“I am as disappointed as I am angry at these criminal acts of cowardice. These six or so individuals, who made their way across campus in the dead of night while fully disguised, chose to violate not just our policies and the law, but our sense of community.”
Smith wrote that the college does not yet know whether these individuals were students. If they are, she said, they will face “immediate disciplinary action, including interim suspension.”
At 5:03 a.m., The Phoenix received an email with the subject line “WAKE UP AND LOOK AROUND,” from an external email address sarcastically posing as Board of Managers Chair Koof Kalkstein. “The Board of Butchers are not welcome on campus. Get out early to see the art we left them,” the email said.
The Phoenix wrote to the email address asking for comment about the graffiti, the work effort it resulted in, and Smith’s message and received no response.
Friday morning’s events resemble a similar protest campaign against the Board this past December, when the Swarthmore Inn was spray painted with “Board of Butchers.” The college, in collaboration with the Swarthmore Borough Police Department, were investigating the incident. Hirsch did not answer a question about whether they had identified the individual(s) involved in the December event.
Phoenix photographers captured the graffiti before and during cleaning, and after most staff had left.
