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   From: admissions@paloaltou.edu   
      
   The building that houses the offices of a New York state senator   
   and an assemblywoman who have been vocal opponents of President   
   Trump was vandalized with graffiti reading “Obama faggot” on   
   Monday morning.   
      
   The graffiti was found in two different places on the outside of   
   the building at 31-19 Newtown Ave., in Astoria, Queens, which   
   houses the offices of State Sen. Michael Gianaris and   
   Assemblywoman Arevella Simotas of Queens.   
      
   Gianaris issued a statement after the incident, saying: “It is   
   shameful that someone is trying to divide our diverse   
   neighborhood through hostility and bigotry. We can assure our   
   community that these hateful actions will not silence our   
   opposition towards policies we consider un-American, and we will   
   continue to fight for those who need our help no matter the   
   cost.”   
      
   But according to QNS.com, this is the second time the same words   
   have been written on the building in the past week, with   
   Councilman Costa Constantinides filing a report after the first   
   incident.   
      
   Gianaris’ spokeswoman tells Metro Weekly that the office is   
   working closely with the New York Police Department’s 114th   
   Precinct in the hope of finding the perpetrator.   
      
   Police with the 114th Precinct have documented both incidents   
   and are reviewing security footage in order to try to identify   
   the vandal.   
      
   “Writing hateful graffiti is a cowardly, criminal act that   
   pollutes our neighborhood and makes people feel less safe,”   
   Simotas said. “I am confident that the 114th Precinct will catch   
   the perpetrator or perpetrators, whatever their sick motivation   
   may be. These acts of hate will neither silence nor stop   
   Astoria’s elected officials from working to fight discrimination   
   and intolerance and to protect the beautiful diversity of our   
   neighborhood.”   
      
   Both Gianaris and Simotas have been vocal in their opposition to   
   President Trump’s policies, particularly with respect to   
   immigration. Along with Constantinides, the two lawmakers held a   
   rally to celebrate Astoria’s diversity shortly after Trump’s   
   election.   
      
   Gianaris has proposed legislation that would prohibit the Port   
   Authority from utilizing any of its resources to enforce Trump’s   
   initial travel ban, which has since been revised after receiving   
   backlash and being struck down by the courts. He has also   
   proposed adding immigration status to the list of classes of   
   people who should be protected under New York’s civil rights   
   laws. Simotas has introduced a bill this session to prevent the   
   intimidation of crime victims or witnesses who are undocumented   
   by making it a felony to report their immigration status. The   
   aim of that bill is to encourage undocumented people to   
   cooperate with police by providing information that could be   
   pertinent to any unsolved crimes.   
      
   https://www.metroweekly.com/2017/03/new-york-lawmakers-offices-   
   vandalized-obama-faggot-graffiti/   
          
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)