Three individuals have been charged with hate crimes in relation to incidents that occurred this summer when red paint was applied to the homes of Brooklyn Museum officials amidst a surge of pro-Palestinian demonstrations, as announced by authorities on Monday.
The accused, identified as Taylor Pelton, Samuel Seligson, and Gabriel Schubiner, all residents of New York, face a series of charges. These include making terroristic threats classified as hate crimes, criminal mischief as a hate crime, graffiti vandalism, possession of graffiti-making tools, and conspiracy.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez explained that the defendants, along with others who have yet to be apprehended, specifically targeted board members of the museum known to have Jewish-sounding names during the early hours of June 12.
Vandalized homes included those belonging to Anne Pasternak, the museum’s director, as well as Kimberly Trueblood, its president and COO, and Barbara Vogelstein, the board chair.
“These individuals allegedly aimed threats and anti-Semitic graffiti at museum board members due to their perceived heritage,” Gonzalez remarked. “What transpired is not a protest; it constitutes hate crimes.”
The perpetrators utilized red paint to inscribe messages such as “Brooklyn Museum, blood on your hands” and displayed banners naming board members, featuring phrases like “blood on your hands, war crimes, funds genocide” and “White Supremacist Zionist,” according to the prosecution.
These banners included red handprints, anarchy symbols, and upside-down red triangles, which prosecutors linked to Hamas, the group that executed a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, igniting the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
According to officials, the group attempted to obscure their identities by spray-painting over security cameras but were still caught on other surveillance footage transporting items to and from Pelton’s vehicle. Additionally, a stencil discovered at one site bore a fingerprint, which was later matched to Schubiner.
Schubiner, 36, was arraigned on Monday and released without bail. Seligson, 32, and Pelton, 28, are scheduled to be arraigned next week. Schubiner and Pelton each face 25 charges, while Seligson is charged with 17, with the most severe being the terroristic threat charge categorized as a hate crime.
Legal representatives for the trio haven’t responded immediately to requests for comments concerning the situation.
Seligson’s lawyer, Leena Widdi, described her client as an independent videographer, asserting that his actions were in line with his role as a credentialed media member. She labeled the hate crime accusations as an “appalling” overreach by the authorities.
Meanwhile, Pelton’s attorney, Moira Meltzer-Cohen, denounced the arrests, framing them as part of a growing trend of framing solidarity actions for Palestine as hate crimes.
In May, hundreds participated in a protest at the Brooklyn Museum, briefly establishing tents in the museum’s lobby and displaying a “Free Palestine” banner from the building’s roof before police intervened, resulting in numerous arrests. Demonstration organizers argued that the museum was “deeply invested in and complicit” in Israel’s military actions in Gaza, a statement museum officials have denied.