Outraged New Yorkers on Tuesday blasted the “disgusting” anti-Israel protesters who desecrated a historic World War I memorial in Central Park and torched a US flag — insisting the unruly mob was “anti-American” and just spreading even more hatred.
Several Upper East Side locals stopped by to see the carnage for themselves after the latest wave of protests descended into mayhem late Monday as the star-studded Met Gala took place nearby.
“These people are just nuts and violent,” said Michael Skol, who has lived in the tony Manhattan neighborhood for 25 years, to The Post.
“Burning the flag is anti-American. It’s stupid,” he added. “It definitively doesn’t help Palestinians or the peace process. These are people who are not in the tradition of believing America is a good place. It’s disgusting.”
Anarchists vandalized the WWI 107th Infantry Memorial in Central Park, as well as the Civil War Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman monument in the nearby Grand Army Plaza on 59th Street during the Monday evening chaos.
Separately, at least one America-hating vandal torched the US flag.
The enraged locals argued that the throngs of pro-Palestinian protesters were only hurting their own cause with their mindless destruction.
“It’s horrible to treat a World War I memorial the way they did. It breaks your heart,” Ron Zucher, 50, said.
“In this country, you have a right to voice your opinion, but not destroy memorials that pay tribute to heroes who died for our country.
“You gotta have some decency,” he added. “The protesters are not helping their own cause destroying monuments and burning the flag. The protesters don’t know our history and are ignorant of the sacrifices people made before them.”
Skol said, “There’s not much thinking going on on the part of these Palestinian supporters.
“It’s pure violence, it’s pure stupidity. “
A clean-up crew arrived at the WWI memorial early Tuesday to scrub off the “Gaza” and “Free Palestine” graffiti left behind using power washers and a biodegradable chemical cleaning agent.
The bronzed memorial depicting seven WWI foot soldiers in battle, which was sculpted by Karl Illava, was dedicated back in 1927.
Meanwhile, stickers of the Palestinian flag that read “Stop the Genocide. End the apartheid. Free Palestine” were still scattered all over park benches along Fifth Avenue.
“The protesters are just spreading hatred,” said Robin Cohen, another Upper East Side local.
“We wouldn’t be here with freedom of speech and freedom to protest if people hadn’t fought for our freedom,” Cohen continued. “Don’t you think they should be arrested for defacing a memorial for people who fought for our freedom?”
Cops were still hunting for the vandals as of Tuesday, with NYPD Deputy Commissioner Operations Kaz Daughtry vowing to track down the perps responsible for the “heinous crime.
“We will leave no stone unturned until the perpetrators are brought to justice,” he tweeted. “Vandalizing a memorial, a symbol of remembrance and honor, is not only an act of criminal mischief but also a disrespect to the sacrifices of those who served our country.
“Let this serve as a warning to anyone who dares to deface our city’s landmarks – there will be consequences.”
Lee Zeldin, an Army veteran, reservist and former gubernatorial candidate, said, “The rioters who have taken over the streets of Manhattan are anarchists whose sole goal is to create chaos and soe division across the country.
“Every Hamas sympathizer involved in desecrating this 107th Infantry World War I memorial should be arrested, and any foreign national on a Visa who participated must be immediately deported.”
The destruction unfolded after a mob of more than 1,000 protesters started off at CUNY’s Hunter College and tried to descend on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Met Gala as part of a “Day of Rage” protest.
At least 27 people were busted in the vicinity of Madison Avenue and East 83rd Street as the demonstrations erupted.
After being blocked by cops and diverted toward Central Park, the anarchists then set about defacing the monuments.
“I’m really not happy with the desecration of the war memorial,” Mayor Eric Adams said after being questioned by reporters on the latest wave of violence.
“This anti-American action bothers me. I’m not going to sit back. We are going to continue to protect this city.”
Local construction worker Domenico Testani, 68, added, “The protests are useless.
“It makes no sense” Testani said. “A World War I memorial has nothing to do with what’s happening in Palestine.
“They have a right to protest, understood, but use some common sense.”
Additional reporting by Carl Campanile and Craig McCarthy
