WASHINGTON — Police arrested the man for vandalizing a political sign outside a gay bar in D.C. and a nearby bus stop early Saturday morning.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department have arrested the suspect accused of vandalizing the Little Gay Pub on P Street in Northwest D.C. The incident, which took place on Saturday before 8:30 a.m., involved 38-year-old Nicholas Goldstein defacing property and spray-painting offensive language.
According to the police report, Goldstein targeted both public and private property, leaving behind messages like “Harris = Hitler” and “Trump > Hitler” on the glass of a nearby Metro bus stop and on posters outside the bar. MPD is investigating this act as potentially motivated by hate or bias.
Dito Sevilla, one of the owners of The Little Gay Pub, tells WUSA9 that this isn't the first time Kamala Harris posters were defaced outside of his bar. On September 11, neighbors notified him of the actions via Instagram. But Sevilla said this time, he contacted police.
"It felt a little stranger than just a little vandalism," he explained. "We believe in political discourse. It’s a free country, there’s freedom of speech, First Amendment’s great, but when you start writing Harris is equal to Hitler, and you start making more violent rhetoric, it reminds me of the problems we’re having across the country. It really doesn’t belong in a place like this."
But in the meantime, he is encouraged because of his patrons and neighbors. They spent hours trying to scrub the hateful words off the bus stop.
"It just reminds you – for every bad actor, there’s hundreds of people that support and love us and love the community they’re in," he said.
Sevilla says he doesn't want Goldstein to go to jail for a long time, but instead he wants him to be held accountable for his actions. He says his message to that man is simple.
"Keep doing what you’re doing and we’ll keep doing what you’re doing because you know what, like Michelle Obama said – when you go low, we’ll go high," he said.
The MPD’s Special Liaison Branch, which focuses on hate and bias-related incidents, is involved in the investigation. While the MPD may designate this as a hate crime, it’s important to note that this doesn’t necessarily mean it will be prosecuted as one.
This vandalism serves as a stark reminder that, even in 2024, intolerance and hate haven't disappeared.
Vandalism at Little Gay Pub
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