Vigil against hate held in Berkeley after anti-Muslim graffiti at business
Pro-Palestinian activists held a vigil against hate Monday evening after a Berkeley business was vandalized with anti-Muslim graffiti over the weekend.
City officials says Berkeley Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.
It happened Saturday morning at Berkeley Community Physical Therapy. On Monday, owner Negeen Mosaed was still trying to clean up.
"The gold paint is still kinda there because it was really hard to get off," said Mosaed, pointing to the front door.
The paint on the door said "F- Islam".
Mosaed is an Iranian American and a Muslim. The vandalism happened on the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
"I called the police and as soon as the police got here they said, 'This is a hate crime,'" said Mosaed.
But she said this isn't the first time her business has been targeted. It's the fourth in about a year.
During the prior incidents, pro-Palestine ceasefire posters were targeted.
"It was this poster that was in this window right here, and it was scratched out with black spray paint," she said, holding a poster that says "ceasefire" on it with a drawing of a crying child. "I called police and reported this vandalism, and I said I think it's a hate crime, and they didn't think it was a hate crime."
Mosaed said this is the first time police are considering one of the incidents a hate crime. City Council member for the district, Igor Tregub, is also getting involved.
"Hate is not a Berkeley value," said Tregub.
He wants to see the person responsible held accountable.
"We'll absolutely be doing everything that is in my power to see to it that the perpetrator who did this is found and brought to justice," said Trebug.
Still, Mosaed wants to see the city do even more to denounce hate. She said being a Muslim in America, she's experienced hate in the past, and this continuing to happen is becoming distressing.
"This incident makes me remember that because it's a passed trauma that I lived through and there is a lot of discrimination and hate in our society," said Mosaed.
The other three incidents happened between March and June of 2024.
Mosaed is trying to remain hopeful that this will be the last time her business is targeted.
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And she says trust between protesters and the Portland Police Bureau is still really low. But she added that the community has been having its own conversations about remaining peaceful and deescalating within the ranks at protests. Terrence Hayes, a formerly incarcerated local community organizer who is on the city's criminal justice commission and supports giving the police more resources, said the city's mood has changed since 2020. The months of violence, tear gas, looting and arrests by federal officers are something residents are not excited to revisit. 'I just don't think we're looking for that fight,' Hayes said. 'If ICE start pushing certain lanes, of course people are going to stand up and protest — but I don't think they're going to be inner-city destructive.' King added that 'if somebody is kidnapping an innocent person off the streets … [we] might have to physically get involved.' 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The chief gave two examples: Earlier this week, Portland Police removed debris piled by protesters that was preventing ICE contractors from entering a parking lot — receiving criticism from city residents for doing so. At the time, the department contends, the contractors were not engaged in enforcement actions and officers believed that moving the debris would reduce tensions. But on another day, police watched passively nearby and did not help federal officers clear a path through a similar group of protesters for a van carrying detained immigrants to pass. Day said in a normal situation, they would clear a blocked street. But with ICE, they 'are not going to actively enforce some of these laws' that are hindering ICE's operation, Day said. But, he added, 'we can't say that the ICE facility, in itself, as it stands, is free game, that anybody can do whatever they want to that building or to that area.' 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