CAIR-NJ Condemns Racist Vandalism Targeting Campaign Poster in Newark
South Plainfield, NJ: The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) April 2 condemned the racist vandalism of a campaign poster for Newark At-Large Councilman Luis Quintana.
The poster, which hangs about a block away from the Councilman’s office, was defaced with a N*zi swastika painted over a picture of the councilman’s face.
Newark Police are investigating the defaced campaign banner as a bias crime and released photos of a suspect wearing a hooded sweatshirt. The bias-motivated crime was apparently committed on Thursday.
"The hate symbolized by this act of vandalism has no place in New Jersey and cannot be tolerated,” said James Sues, executive director of CAIR-NJ. “This painful reminder of the extreme divisiveness … should prompt us to remain vigilant in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes as they occur.”
CAIR launched an app to share critical “know your rights” information and to simplify the process to report hate crimes and bias incidents. CAIR is urging American Muslims and members of other minority groups to download the app and utilize this resource to stay informed and empowered.
For a quick download of CAIR’s civil rights app, click here: http://www.cair.com/app
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