Family turns swastikas to flowers and butterflies to combat hate in viral TikTok video

While walking home from the farmer’s market with her daughter, Taylor Coffman was “appalled and disturbed” to see several swastikas graffitied on the street, she said in a video on TikTok. 

After reporting the swastikas to the police, she said the next day the swastikas were still there. She decided to return to the swastikas and draw over them with chalk to turn them into flowers, butterflies and hearts with her daughter. 

In the video on TikTok, which currently has 54.3K likes, she and her daughter are seen drawing the flowers, butterflies and hearts over the swastikas. At the end of the video is the image of a swastika-turned-flower with words written above reading, “Love lives here.”

@taylorcoffmanmade Family art project- turning hate graffiti up and down our street into flowers and butterflies. #love #nohate #spreadlove @Dustbowl Revival ♬ Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Leanne & Naara

“Every time we see an act of hate, let’s all do something with love to help someone or a community,” Coffman wrote in a short blog posting after she made the TikTok entitled, "The Power of Chalk Butterflies." 

She concluded her blog post saying, “If I’m going to keep pushing to live in this world, our family is dedicated to help make it a better place.”

In a statement published on X, formerly Twitter, the Santa Monica Police commented on the incident.

The Santa Monica Police Department continues its investigation into the recent reports of anti-Semitic graffiti discovered in various locations throughout the city, including Virginia Avenue Park. The hand-drawn swastikas appear to be placed on public property such as sidewalks,… https://t.co/8OEP7hxNuO

— Santa Monica Police (@SantaMonicaPD) April 9, 2024

In the comment, they said that it is investigating the incident of the reports of antisemitic graffiti, which was “discovered in various locations throughout the city, including Virginia Avenue Park. The hand-drawn swastikas appear to be placed on public property such as sidewalks, trees, and electrical boxes; not targeting a specific person or place.”

The police stated that they are “actively pursuing information to identify the suspect.”