Anti-cop vandalism strikes campus during graduation weekend

Pennsylvania State University Police Department (PSUPD) has been investigating a string of vandalism attacks that targeted campus landmarks over graduation weekend. 

The purported vandal struck the Nittany Lion Shrine, Hintz Family Alumni Center, and Old Main building with red paint on May 8, reports WTAJ. 

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”Death by Cop” was reported to have been sprayed on the Old Main doors along with the phrases “Death by Hazing” and “Death by PSU Culture.”

”FTG,” an acronym for “For the Glory,” was written on the Alumni building. The vandal reportedly broke off the ear of the Nittany Lion, which is the second-most photographed monument in the state, and doused it with paint to resemble blood.

The motive behind the vandalization is unclear. 

Penn State released a statement condemning the act, and referred to the defacement as  “profoundly disturbing acts, at a time when many families are taking photos and celebrating the educational accomplishments of their graduates.”

PSUPD deferred to the university for comment. 

Senior Director of Strategic Communications Lisa Powers told Campus Reform that the university could not discuss security measures.

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Campus Reform has reported on acts of vandalism that have destroyed property at other universities across the country.

Last semester, anti-cop protesters at the University of California Davis set off smoke bombs and vandalized campus signs in an anti-cop riot. The vandals spraypainted anti-cop slogans including “ACAB” and “F*** 12.”

Anti-cop rhetoric was also prevalent at the University of Texas at Austin. 

Campus Reform obtained videos that showed the local “Cops Off Campus” group demonstrating to defund the police only days after a nearby shooting.