A 16-year-old protester who allegedly vandalized a World War I memorial during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Central Park has been arrested after his own father turned him over to police, according to a report. The teen was taken into custody on Thursday night following the protest on Monday in which the words “Gaza” and “Free Palestine” were scrawled onto the base of the 107th Infantry Memorial, according to the New York Post. The outlet says the adolescent now faces a felony charge of criminal mischief in the third degree and a misdemeanor charge of making graffiti. “The despicable vandalism we saw earlier this week on the WWI Memorial will not be ignored, and will not go unpunished,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry posted Thursday on X along with a picture showing the teen, his face blurred out, in handcuffs. Daughtry added: “This isn’t simply juvenile hijinks- it’s an act of desecration that undermines the freedoms our heroes fought and died for.”
The despicable vandalism we saw earlier this week on the WWI Memorial will not be ignored, and will not go unpunished. One of the culprits was placed in handcuffs today thanks to the World’s Greatest Detectives. This isn’t simply juvenile hijinks- it’s an act of desecration that… pic.twitter.com/2R8uzssIqD
