MIT police are investigating two instances of hand-drawn swastikas on campus that were discovered this week, President Sally Kornbluth announced in a statement Friday morning.
In addition to the swastikas, other “disturbing” messages “wishing violence” or celebrating it were identified on campus in the days following the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, Kornbluth said in an email to the MIT community.
“In the context of this week’s horrifying murder of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, these manifestations of hatred towards others for their views, beliefs or identity are even more concerning,” Kornbluth said in her statement.
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Kornbluth’s memo didn’t provide details of what the messages said, but one instance included a “sign wishing violence on a conservative non-profit,” she wrote.
There were also multiple instances of graffiti in recent days and messages on email lists, all of which celebrated violence, according to the statement.
Kornbluth said there’s no reason to believe the swastikas and other messages are connected, and officials do not know anything about the intent of those who drew and wrote them.
“But because a swastika is an unambiguous symbol of hate, particularly antisemitic hate, it is therefore a tool of intimidation, as is advocating violence against those with whom one disagrees,” Kornbluth said.
Kornbluth said MIT police are trying to determine who is responsible for each of the messages, and that there will be an appropriate disciplinary process.
“Such corrosive incidents have become commonplace in our society, and they can invite violence,” Kornbluth warned, adding that, “belonging to the MIT community is a privilege, not a right, and it comes with the responsibility to treat each other with decency and respect.”
The hateful imagery and messages were discovered in the roughly 36 hours following Kirk’s shooting death, which happened around 2 p.m. EST on Wednesday.
The killing has prompted a nationwide conversation about political violence and unleashed a wave of polarizing social media content, with many remembering and celebrating Kirk’s conservative activism while others have posted statements to social media that appeared to glorify violence.
A Utah man was arrested in connection with the shooting on Friday morning, authorities announced.
Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization with chapters at hundreds of colleges, including several in Massachusetts. There is not an active chapter at MIT, according to Turning Point’s website.
Claire Thornton can be reached at claire.thornton@globe.com. Follow Claire on X @claire_thornto.