A plane flew over several areas of New York this weekend dragging a banner behind it. The banner promoted a website: proswastika.org. Alongside the name of the website was a heart, a peace sign, a swastika, and one final symbol that showed another swastika inside the Star of David.

The religious group behind the display is called the Raelian Movement, and they consider the swastika a religious symbol.

Thomas Kaenzig, a spokesman for The International Raelian Movement, said that they have been flying the banners in order to reclaim the swastika from the offensive meaning Hitler gave it.

“Before Hitler used it for its atrocities, the swastika was a symbol of peace and had only positive connotations,” he said. “As long there are people still offended by it, it means we need to continue our work, we need to continue to rehabilitate the symbol.”

Kaenzig also stated that there were over 40 swastika banners being flown in the past week. The banners were flown in over 40 different cities in North America, South America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe.

Councilman Mark Treyger spoke on the matter, “[I]t’s a very chilling image, in light of the fact that southern Brooklyn has the largest remaining number of World War II and Holocaust survivors. There is no place for this in New York City… I am deeply offended and hurt. Try explaining to someone who witnessed their loved ones who were butchered by people under [a swastika] that it’s anything but a hateful [symbol].”

“How did they get clearance to fly this plane? Was there any kind of pre-screening, pre-clearance of what was going to be flown over,” Treyger said.

Kate Murray, Hempstead Town Supervisor, said she intends to file a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Port Authority.

“I am offended and disgusted at this type of hate speech,” Murray said. “It has no place in our town or anywhere else for that matter.”

Residents of New York from affected areas were outraged by the sight of the swastika banners.

Jeffrey Granat, a resident of Merrick, saw the banner with his wife, “I can’t see how this can be construed in this community as anything less than grossly offensive.”

“I think the concept of rehabilitating the swastika is either the most naive thing I have ever heard or is a thinly veiled anti-Semitic statement,” said David Hoffman, a resident of Bellmore, Long Island. “You can’t rehabilitate something that elicits such strong feelings.”

[ Image courtesy of NY Post/Ariel Creamer ]