A popular Brooklyn venue known for its presence on social media was vandalized last week amid escalating accusations of racism surrounding a canceled event. The Market Hotel, located in the Bushwick neighborhood, was spray-painted with graffiti including the words “racist” and an expletive directed at the venue.

The incident followed claims by promoter NOAHH, who alleged that the venue withdrew permission for his New York Fashion Week party, titled “In Tha Fest,” hours before it was scheduled to begin. NOAHH stated the cancellation was due to the venue’s refusal to host the event because it did not want “ignorant black people” inside. The event was set to feature performances by black rappers Percaso and EA TJ.

Surveillance footage shows three individuals dressed in black spray-painting the outside of the Market Hotel, which is known for its second-story dance floor overlooking the Myrtle-Broadway subway station platform.

In response, the Market Hotel strongly denied the allegations of racial discrimination. The venue said it canceled the event because the promoter had only sold approximately 40 tickets for a space with a capacity of about 500, making the event financially unviable. The management emphasized that race was never part of the decision-making process.

Following the vandalism, NOAHH, who is white, issued an apology for inciting the actions of the vandals but maintained his assertion that the cancellation was racially motivated.

The situation has sparked debate within the local community regarding the circumstances and motivations behind the cancellation and subsequent vandalism, highlighting ongoing tensions surrounding race and event promotion in the city’s nightlife scene. Authorities have not reported any arrests related to the graffiti incident as of this writing.