NEW YORK (WSVN) — A group of New York City subway riders is going viral after they teamed up to clean racist graffiti scrawled in their train car.
Gregory Locke posted photos of the swastika-covered train on Facebook, saying the symbols were scrawled on “every advertisement and every window” along with hate messages targeting Jewish people.
“Nobody knew how to react or what to do,” Locke said in an interview, as riders stared silently at the writing surrounding them.
That all changed when one man spoke up.
“Hand sanitizer gets rid of Sharpie,” the man said. “We need alcohol.”
Locke said the man then found some tissues and started cleaning, prompting others on the train to help pitch in.
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“I’ve never seen so many people simultaneously reach into their bags and pockets looking for tissues and Purel,” Locke wrote. “Within about two minutes, all the Nazi symbolism was gone.”
Locke credited his fellow New Yorkers for stepping up instead of ignoring the situation.
“Everyone on the train was very united in their efforts to get rid of that hateful message,” Locke said.
His post spread quickly, garnering nearly 700,000 likes and 450,000 shares on Facebook in just over a day.
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