Two days after a Brooklyn park named for late Beastie Boys co-founder Adam Yauch was found defaced with swastikas and a pro-Donald Trump message, nearby residents took back the park with love.
On Sunday, a horde of people, including Beastie Boys co-founders Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond along with Ben Stiller, converged on Adam Yauch Park to show their support and to denounce the racist messages. The National Anthem was sung, and a variety of speakers—including New York State Senator Daniel Squadron, a rabbi, and an imam—addressed the crowd that reportedly numbered in the hundreds.
Here was the scene.
NY State Senator @DanielSquadron leads crowd in #adamyauchpark in singing of national anthem pic.twitter.com/M614DoANwb
— Holly Epstein Ojalvo (@heoj) November 20, 2016
This kid. @adrock @beastieboys #StandUpAgainstHate pic.twitter.com/6tZieN2xwU
— Ryan Meade (@ryano) November 20, 2016
Short video of Ad-Rock's speech #adamyauchpark pic.twitter.com/IQwuu1fVXl
— lety flores (@letyy) November 20, 2016
Adam Horovitz, aka Ad Rock of the @beastieboys, denounces painting of a swastika in a kids' park named for peace loving Adam Yauch, aka MCA pic.twitter.com/N6rXH6daq2
— Holly Epstein Ojalvo (@heoj) November 20, 2016
https://twitter.com/theParkinglot/status/800395344173498368
Peace rally at Adam Yauch Park #lovetrumpshate pic.twitter.com/BYHaCoohTQ
— Alexy Scholl (@alexyscholl) November 20, 2016
Adam Yauch Park is so full of people here to denounce hate that some are climbing the playground equipment to get a view #BeastieBoys pic.twitter.com/jAu3BksViM
— Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) November 20, 2016
Standing with people of Brooklyn, my daughter, @adrock, @DanielSquadron, and many more in Adam Yauch Park. #MCA #NYC #StandUpAgainstHate pic.twitter.com/C4pg6YFoJR
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) November 20, 2016
adam yauch park, brooklyn, 11:45 AM pic.twitter.com/bFISWJ8XNv
— Jason Gay (@jasongay) November 20, 2016
Rally at Adam Yauch Park on a windy Brooklyn day #nosleeptiljustice #LoveTrumpsHate #strongtogether pic.twitter.com/zxwJLL7NOK
— Sara Cornish (@s_nish) November 20, 2016
Huge crowd in #adamyauchpark Brooklyn to stand against hate in wake of hateful messages posted on playground equipment pic.twitter.com/JcDBCFPoAF
— Holly Epstein Ojalvo (@heoj) November 20, 2016
According to in-person accounts, the rally was peaceful and filled with love, and the program ended with Squadron, the politician who helped organize the last-minute rally, leading the crowd in a rendition of “This Land Is Your Land.”