(LOS ANGELES, CA – 11/30/2018) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today condemned racist graffiti defacing a mural celebrating African-American achievement in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.
READ: Vandalism of Hyde Park Black Panthers Mural with Swastika Graffiti Investigated as Hate Crime
https://ktla.com/2018/11/29/hyde-park-black-panthers-mural-vandalized-with-swastika-graffiti/
According to CNN, Nazi swastikas were spray-painted over the faces of four Black Panthers featured in the two-block long mural, entitled “Our Mighty Contribution.” Jasmyne Cannick, a political commentator, alerted the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). A department spokesperson said the LAPD is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime, according to CNN.
The Nazi swastikas were subsequently removed by the original artist. The likenesses of Frederick Douglass, Harriett Tubman and Martin Luther King Jr. are also featured on the mural, according to KTLA.
READ: Black Panthers mural in Los Angeles defaced with swastikas
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/29/us/black-panther-mural-swastikas/index.html
In a statement, Los Angeles City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, representing the district that encompasses Hyde Park, said:
“The hate crime that occurred in the Eighth District sometime on Thursday was a targeted and deliberate act to inflict fear and incite violence. … “This is yet another example of dangerous, racist sentiment and actions that are beginning to characterize this period of time, and we are not immune to it in Los Angeles.”
READ: Statement from Councilmember Harris-Dawson Regarding Potential Hate Crime in South LA
“We join Councilmember Harris-Dawson and our community partners in condemning this display of racism. We commend the LAPD for investigating this incident as a hate crime,” said CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. “This hatred has absolutely no place in our society. We urge law enforcement authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Ayloush urged community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR-LA’s Civil Rights Department at 714-776-1177 or by filing a report at: https://bit.ly/2L9Ezsw
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Communications Manager Eugene W. Fields, 714-776-1847 or efields@cair.com