Footpaths across the city’s largest park had been sprayed with offensive graffiti.
Preston City Council confirmed it had removed a number of messages stating ‘F*ck Gaza’ which were sprayed in red paint across paths in Moor Park.
Zaheer Patel, who contacted Blog Preston, said it was ‘shocking and distressing’ to see the words.
He said: “It is unbelievable that, while a genocide is taking place in Gaza and countless innocent lives are being lost, this is the graffiti that appears in our city. Instead of compassion and solidarity, such hateful words have been scrawled in a public space where families, children, and the wider community gather.
“We must come together as a community to strongly condemn this type of racism and intolerance. Such acts fuel division and hatred, and they have no place in Preston or anywhere else.”
The graffiti appeared close to the Serpentine Lake which is undergoing restoration work and at other locations on the Blackpool Road side of the park.
Leader of Labour-run Preston City Council councillor Matthew Brown, which is currently pursuing a friendship arrangement with Hebron in Palestine, said: “We have reported the graffiti to the local police and are monitoring video footage for the perpetrators. We continue to monitor and patrol the area for any further signs of antisocial behaviour.
“We stand firmly against any hate or racism of any kind in the city and are taking this very seriously. A full sweep of the park has been made and all graffiti has been cleared.”
This week the UK government announced it was formally recognising Palestine as a state.
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