Zionist Hate Crime Attacks on CAMP Murals

December 5, 2018 / Clarion Alley Mural Project / News

Zionist hate crime vandalism attacks on Clarion Alley Mural Project murals in support of Palestine since September 30, 2018:

September 30, 2018
October 1, 2018
October 5, 2018
October 12, 2018
October 13, 2018
October 18, 2018
October 22, 2018
November 8, 2018
November 12, 2018
November 19, 2018
November 30, 2018
December 15, 2018

In addition to the defacement of the murals, muralists were yelled at and called Jew haters and anti-Semitic while they were painting by individuals who identified as being from Israel. The following images represent the repeated tagging of the murals:

Will To Live

October 5, 2018

End Apartheid B.D.S.

October 18, 2018

Following eight similar attacks that all defaced the “D” in B.D.S., Wilson changed her mural. Her mural was then tagged a week later with the following:

November 19, 2018

Ahed Tamimi

October 18, 2018

Justice

October 12, 2018

October 18, 2018

Bangkit Palestina!

November 12, 2018

Anti-Zionism Is Not Anti-Semitism

First and foremost about these Zionist hate crime vandalism attacks, we want to be clear that Judaism is not Zionism and Anti-Zionism is not Anti-Semitism. These Zionist attacks are very in line with the MAGA attacks that CAMP experienced in October and white supremacist ideologies. These are hate crimes against mural works that have been created out of respect, love, and compassion.

Many of the artists who have worked on the murals have Jewish ancestry and Jewish communities throughout the Bay Area have demonstrated some of the strongest support for CAMP and our community partners AROC and Art Forces in fighting these attacks.

Meetings with CAMP’s District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen’s Office

CAMP has now met with our District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen’s Office twice. In the first meeting on October 19, 2018, CAMP’s co-director Megan Wilson and CAMP’s attoney explained the situation to Supervisor Ronen’s aide Carolyn Goossen – that CAMP at that point had had four Zionist vandalism attacks and one MAGA (Make America Great Again) attacks. A number of ideas were discussed to address the situation, including the following:

1. More lighting on the alley
2. A “stewards” program – to provide an ongoing presence in the space
3. cameras
4. Press conference – if the crimes continue

In addition both Ms. Goossen and CAMP’s attorney reached out to the Mission police station to request additional walk throughs and to provide them with documentation of the hate crimes. (CAMP’s attorney never heard back from the Mission station’s police sergeant.)

The second meeting took place on November 30, 2018 and included representatives from CAMP, AROC (Arab Resource Organizing Center), and Supervisor’s Ronen’s aide Carolyn Goossen.

Supervisor’s Ronen’s office was informed that since the previous meeting six weeks earlier there had been six additional Zionist hate crime vandalism attacks on the murals. It was expressed that the issue is becoming one of health and safety in the community and that the following is needed in support from San Francisco, and specifically with the help and support of our District 9 Supervisor’s office:

1. More lighting on the alley
2. A “stewards” program – to provide an ongoing presence in the space – CAMP provided a very basic outline of what would be needed through this program.
3. cameras – there is already movement on this.
4. Press conference and/or statement – if the crimes continue

Ms. Goossen asked that CAMP again follow-up with the Mission Police Station, which coincidentally is across from Clarion Alley. CAMP agreed to do this. Ms. Goossen also explained the process for requesting fund support from the office through Addbacks.

Less than 12 hours after the meeting with Supervisor Ronen’s office, one of the artists – Chris Gazaleh documented that there had been another Zionist hate crime attack on the murals on the alley – The 11th attack within two months. Gazaleh documented the attacks during the night when he found the defacemnts and CAMP documented the attacks the following day in the daylight:

CAMP filed an on-site hate crime vandalism report with Officer Corey Brooks of the Mission Police Station, taking him through the alley and explaining each of the murals, the repeated vandalism against only the murals in support of Palestine, and the verbal abuse of muralists being yelled at and called “Jew haters” and “anti-Semitic” by various people – several self-identified as from Israel. Officer Brooker followed up later that day to inform CAMP that he had typed up the report to be included with the documentation taken during the filing, as well as the document that CAMP provided outlining a history of attacks on murals in support of Palestine and Arab countries and a detailed account of the current hate crimes over the previous two months. Officer Brooks communicated that an investigator would be following up soon – that was a week ago, and so far CAMP has not been contacted.

CAMP also followed up with Supervisor Ronen’s office to inform them of the new developments, we are hopeful that Supervisor Ronen will take action and support CAMP in standing up to call out these hate crimes and help to provide the necessary civic tools and infrastructure to address these hate crimes in our Mission neighborhood.

On December 15th CAMP Was Hit Again With Another Series of Zionist Attacks – Right After Mural Repairs

CAMP had just finished repairing most of the walls:

CAMP has filed a second report with three officers from the Mission Police Station and has also informed our District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen of these attacks.

These Zionist hate crimes have been covered in the following publications:

The Guardian
KQED
NBC Bay Area
SF Examiner
SF Weekly

Global Impact, Education & Solidarity

It’s also unfortunate that two of the murals being repeatedly attacked are part of the international exchange and residency Bangkit/Arise that CAMP is currently undertaking with Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Palestine was the first country to recognize Indonesia as a sovereign nation in 1945. Sadly, the message that is being communicated to Indonesia through this is that there is such disrespect and that these hate crimes are happening so consistently without any action by our city leaders. However, it’s not just Indonesia – Clarion Alley Mural Project gets over 200,000 visitors a year just to see the murals – so this is the message that’s being sent out to folks around the world.

The one upside to this situation is that CAMP artists are now out on the alley more frequently repairing these murals and providing information and education to tourists/visitors to inform them about the meaning and importance of these mural works and about the ongoing hate crimes.

Sadly too the verbal attacks on the Indonesian artists while they painted was extremely upsetting, as they are very clear on the difference between Judaism and Zionism and they are not used to such verbally violent outbursts in Indonesia.

As a result of their experience of being verbally attacked and their work being physically attacked the Indonesian artists have proposed working together with AROC and CAMP to create a series of murals in support of Palestine in Indonesia, working with youth and with the Dif-Abled (differently-abled) communities in Yogyakarta.