Hateful symbols found spray-painted along Vickery Creek Trail in Chattahoochee park

A man came across hateful images as he hiked an area belonging to the National Park Service.

Pastor Brian Webb told Atlanta News First that he spotted multiple swastikas spray painted on trees on the Vickery Creek Trail in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

“Today, I was met with a disgusting scene,” said in a video on social media. “To see that symbol and the history of that symbol, and what it really represents and means, my stomach began to turn, and I was fully disgusted.”

Concerned that the individuals who painted the images might still be on the trail, Webb said he FaceTimed his wife, so she would know where he was. After finishing the hike, Webb said he decided to go back to document the markings and report them.

“Give more people courage to see something and say something, that we can shine light on these pockets of evil that exist,” said Webb.

The symbol, which the German Nazi Party appropriated from other religions and cultures, represents hate and white supremacy to many targeting the Jewish community and others.

Webb posted on Facebook Tuesday saying that several people messaged him saying the symbol is positive. 

“Even if some claim to reclaim it, public endorsement or display normalizes or sanitizes the immense harm it caused to millions. Symbols carry power beyond intent: they signal safety to some and fear to others,” he wrote.

The National Park Service has not released a statement or information about the incident on their website or social media pages.

Georgia law prohibits defacing any real or personal property in any park, and in 2024, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill that allows prosecutors to add anti-Semitism charges to crimes committed against Jewish individuals or property, according to WALB.

“We need to be all united, no matter what color, creed or religion,” said Webb. “We need to stand together in situations like this, shine a light on it, and not be afraid to do it.”