Swastika-painted Trump sign found at UVM

Students at the University of Vermont found a Donald Trump campaign sign painted with a swastika three doors down from the campus Hillel on Wednesday, said Matt Vogel, executive director of the campus Jewish group.

Vogel said it was unclear who had marked the sign with the swastika or why.

"For many Jewish students, no matter how they voted, seeing that symbol of hate is a very painful thing for them," Vogel said.

A Burlington police officer responded at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday — the day after Republican Trump won the presidency over Democrat Hillary Clinton — to a report of the sign.

"We collected the sign and have yet to identify the responsible person nor can we say that the sign was left in a manner which targeted the Hillel.  The incident is of concern given the proximity of the sign to the Hillel," Deputy Chief Shawn Burke wrote in an email to the Burlington Free Press.

Police Chief Brandon del Pozo added the sign appeared "discarded."

"We are also considering the theory that the swastika was more of an expression about Trump's politics than about targeting the Hillel per se," the chief wrote in an email to the Free Press.

Vogel said students have been coming to the Hillel center to seek support and find community following the incident. He also praised the University of Vermont, saying the administration has done a good job showing support for all students.

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This story first appeared online on Nov. 10, 2016. Contact Jess Aloe at 802-660-1874 or jaloe@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @jess_aloe.