Swastikas turn up in Massachusetts town

NEWTON, Mass., Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Police in Newton, Mass. say they have no evidence linking the appearance of spray-painted swastikas at a local church and synagogue in town.

Some 200 Newton residents gathered outside Temple Shalom Sunday to protest both incidents and spread a message of hope and tolerance, The Boston Globe reported Monday.

"We've wiped away the hateful symbol but it is our presence here as one community that enables us to say no to hate," said Rabbi Eric Gurvis of Temple Shalom.

"I know that out of something bad, we're going to make something good," Newton Mayor David Cohen told the crowd.

On Nov. 15 a swastika was discovered on a sign at temple Shalom. Four days later someone spray painted a swastika on a curb outside Eliot Church, a United Church of Christ affiliate.

A police spokesman told the Globe that so far there is no evidence linking the two incidents and no arrests have been made.