TYNGSBORO — Police are investigating the discovery of swastikas and hate-filled phrases, including “normalize hate,” scrawled in chalk near Tesla charging stations in the parking lot of the plaza at 440 Middlesex Road on Tuesday night.
According to Tyngsboro Police Chief Shaun Woods, the graffiti, which has since been washed off the asphalt by police, is believed to be an isolated incident. Woods said in a press release that there have been no similar reports of such graffiti appearing elsewhere in town.
“Acts of this nature are extremely rare in our community, and we take them seriously,” Woods said in the release. “The Tyngsborough Police Department prides itself on maintaining strong ties with the community, working closely with residents, businesses, and visitors to ensure that our town remains a safe and welcoming place for all. We are conducting a thorough investigation and encourage anyone with information to come forward.”
Police noted that there appear to be no surveillance cameras in the area, and they were unable to locate any witnesses.
Anyone with information about the graffiti is asked to contact Lt. Cynthia Shay at 978-649-7504.
The location of the swastikas, symbols associated with the Nazi Party, situated near the Tesla charging stations is particularly notable given recent controversies surrounding Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. Musk faced public backlash after making a straight-arm gesture, mirroring a Nazi salute, during a rally celebrating President Donald Trump’s second inauguration on Jan. 20.
During his speech, Musk thanked the crowd with the words, “I just want to say thank you for making it happen,” before slapping his chest with his right hand and extending his arm straight out, palm facing down. He then turned to face the crowd behind him and repeated the gesture, before saying, “My heart goes out to you.”
Musk has since denied the gesture was a Nazi salute on the social media platform he owns, X, formerly known as Twitter. He claimed that the accusations were “tired attacks.”
The controversy has extended to X, which Musk purchased in 2022. He has faced criticism from hate-speech watchdogs for allowing extremist and antisemitic comments to flourish on the platform. Notably, the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate, which Musk unsuccessfully sued, stated that the platform failed to remove neo-Nazi and anti-LGBTQ content from users that violated the platform’s rules, according to the Associated Press.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X, formerly known as Twitter, @aselahcurtis
