BERKELEY, Calif. (KRON) – An East Bay neighborhood is coming collectively to point out help for a Muslim-owned enterprise that was vandalized over the weekend. Dozens of individuals turned out for a vigil on Monday evening.
Photos shared with KRON4 present Saturday’s vandalism at Negeene Mosaed’s well being clinic, Berkeley Group Bodily Remedy. Professional-Palestine posters had been scratched out with black ink, and Islamophobic language was painted on the wall.
Mosaed is Iranian-American and says her enterprise was attacked due to her stance on the Gaza-Israel battle and her cultural background.
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“And this time we were on high alert,” she mentioned. “And I was definite in my mind that this was a hate crime directed against Palestinians and Middle Eastern people and of course the othering of justifying a genocide, its called the Palestine exception.”
On Monday evening, an anti-hate vigil was held in South Berkeley.
“Someone doesn’t just randomly vandalize a store out of the blue. It’s because of a dehumanization of a group of people that has been taking so long,” mentioned a person named Hesham.
Hesham is from Syria and says he is aware of all too effectively about racism. He says the vigil was an opportunity for Palestinian and Arab voices to talk out towards hate.
“It’s unfortunate that the event took place. It gives me hope that a lot of people have shown up, and I just hope that more people continue to show up for these causes and are able to make that connection,” Hesham mentioned.
Later within the night, the Metropolis of Berkeley’s Peace and Justice Fee held a gathering.
Final 12 months, the fee handed a ceasefire decision. Mosaed and neighborhood members like Matt O’Brien are asking the Berkeley Metropolis Council to do the identical.
Mosaed hopes that Berkeley’s new mayor and council members hear their message and put a ceasefire decision on the town’s subsequent agenda.