Anti-American sentiments graffitied along U.S. Hwy 76

HIAWASSEE, Ga – Towns County, Ga all fell victim to the country-wide vandalism over the July Fourth weekend. Unidentified individuals scrawled anti-American and anti-law enforcement graffiti down a section of US Hwy. 76.

The graffiti appeared along the side of a building, road signs, power poles, and a retaining wall from Sunnyside Road to Times Past Road. The vandals wrote “Death 2 AmeriKKKa,” “kill all cops,” “ACAB,” and “all fash must die”. Several of these phrases appeared on signs held by rioters in major cities across the county. ACAB translated to “all cops are bastards” or “all cops are bad” depending on who uses the term.

The vandalism took place sometime overnight between July 4 and July 5.

Fetch Your News has reached out to the Towns County Sheriff’s Office for details about the case.

O.C.G.A. § 17-15A-2 defined graffiti as any inscriptions, words, figures, paintings, or other defacements written, drawn, or sprayed without owner authorization by any device capable of scarring a surface.

Anyone arrested for defacing property could be charged with a criminal trespassing misdemeanor if the damage is less than $500.

For greater damage, a person could face first or second degree criminal damage charges. First degree criminal damage includes vandalism to public works structures and malicious intent to harm others. If found guilty, an individual could face up to ten years in prison and fines. Second degree criminal damage must exceed $500 and carries up to five years in prison as well as fines. O.C.G.A. listed both charges as felonies.

Towns County community members, Brett Nash, Brian Caldwell, and Donald Palmer came together on Sunday to remove the graffiti, according to Facebook. These individuals received an outpouring on online support for taking the time to remove the statements.

Towns County wasn’t the only incident of vandalism over the Fourth of July weekend.  A group uprooted a statue of Frederick Douglas from its base. Also, the Georgia State Patrol Headquarters experienced an onslaught of rioters who threw fireworks inside the building and defaced the building with “Death to AmeriKKKa.”

FYN will update this story as information becomes available. Images courtesy of Brett Nash’s and Anjelica O’Cobthaigh’s Facebook pages.

If anyone has any information about the incident, please contact law enforcement.