Neo-Nazi “1488” message removed from park scoreboard in San Anselmo, California

A message that is believed to have been a neo-Nazi code has been removed from a park in San Anselmo, California, it was reported earlier this week.

San Anselmo residents reported the numbers “1488” that were found on the Memorial Park scoreboard. 1488 is likely a coded reference to the neo-Nazi fourteen-word oath: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”, a slogan initially devised by David Lane, a member of the white supremacist terrorist group “The Order” which was responsible for the murder of Jewish radio host Alan Berg. The number 88 refers to the eighth letter of the alphabet, H, and is intended as a code for “Heil Hitler.”

San Anselmo Town Manager, David Donery, said: “These numbers are known to represent white nationalism and antisemitism. The town of San Anselmo takes all reports of hate crimes and hate speech seriously.”

Police Chief Michael Norton of the Central Marin Police Authority said his agency is “looking into the matter to see if it’s determined to be hate speech or a hate crime.”

Mayor Brian Colber condemned the news, saying: “It’s deeply troubling to me on many levels.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.