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New York Public Library facing steep graffiti cleanup costs after protests
By
Charles Lane
Published Nov 25, 2023
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Eduardo MunozAlvarez/VIEWpress
By
Charles Lane
Published Nov 25, 2023
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Protesters have caused as much as $75,000 in graffiti damage to the famous New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman building, where some carved reliefs may need to be replaced.
The damage was caused by at least three separate pro-Palestinian protests over the last few weeks, officials said. The worst damage, however, occurred on Thanksgiving Day when protesters sprayed “Free Palestine” in dark green paint and smeared red handprints on the steps, fountain and facade.
The protests that day also included efforts to disrupt the Thanksgiving Day Parade, and resulted in 34 arrests. Of those, 30 people were given court summons. It’s unclear how many of those arrests, if any, happened at the library.
The cleanup costs come as New York’s libraries brace for steep budget cuts, and have already canceled Sunday service starting next week.
The graffiti damage from Thursday covered parts of marble where donors’ names are engraved with delicate crevices that can be easily eroded by cleanup efforts, said Garrett Bergen, director of facilities for the library.
Cleaning dark paint from the building requires applying a number of applications of solvent for days at a time, he said.
“We could have to replace certain elements if a rosette is too damaged for the paint to be removed. So it's a little unclear,” Bergen said.
On Wednesday, NYPD officials said they expected protests at the Thanksgiving parade. But the library was closed on the holiday and staffing was minimal, Bergen said.
During previous protests, library staff and police were able to keep protestors from causing extensive damage by erecting barricades and taking other measures.
“The Friday before Thanksgiving we had more support from the police department, and we barricaded the fine art sculptures and the monuments,” Bergen said.
He said passersby have been offering verbal support to workers cleaning the building. Library officials say they don’t have any fundraising effort currently underway to pay for the graffiti cleanup.
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Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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