An Anchorage man who pasted swastika stickers at several locations around the city in 2021 was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday to 18 months in prison. He was convicted on two acts of hate-motivated property damage and one drug trafficking offense.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office, in May, 2021, Luke Foster, now 28, placed swastika stickers with the text “WE ARE EVERYWHERE” at eight locations around Anchorage, including the Alaska Jewish Museum and the gay nightclub Mad Myrna’s. Foster returned to the Jewish Museum a few months later to place another sticker and carve a swastika into the door.
The swastika is an ancient religious symbol now most associated with the German Nazi Party, which carried out a systematic slaughter of Jewish people, LGBTQ people and others during the Holocaust.
“It’s very sad when you see young people who are misguided and don’t understand the danger of being influenced by the fear of ‘the other,’” said Rabbi Yosef Greenberg, president of the museum board.
Greenberg said he was encouraged by an apology Foster made during court proceedings, saying he was misguided and hoped to learn from the experience.
