SAN JOSE — Police said they were investigating a hostile interaction caught on video between two unidentified men in San Jose, where one man was seen slashing down two banners that called for an end to Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip, and a similar incident several days before.
The video, taken on Sunday and posted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, begins in the middle of an-already heated argument between two people. One man stands in front of the camera, next to a large banner hung on a freeway overpass. The incident took place on the Park Avenue overpass above Interstate 880 in San Jose, authorities said Wednesday.
In the 3 minute and 19 second video, a man is seen engaging in a political argument with the man holding the recording device. The discussion centers on the two banners, which both appear to say “End Israeli Occupation. Save Gaza.”
About 30 seconds into the video, the other man pulls out a knife and begins to cut and tear down the first banner. He audibly calls the man with the camera a “terrorist” at one point.
No physical contact is recorded on the video, though CAIR said in a news release Tuesday that the man who tore the banners down threatened volunteers with bear spray. At one point in the video, he calls his own actions “peaceful,” a claim that draws a derisive response from the camera operator.
The video ends with the man taking the banners into his vehicle and driving away.
“We are appalled by the brazen assault and vandalism targeting advocates exercising their right to express support for Palestine,” said San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Executive Director Zahra Billoo. “This incident is not only an attack on individuals but also an affront to our country’s principles of free speech.”
San Jose police said Wednesday that the suspect in Sunday’s incident and another suspect accused of a similar crime had been identified. On Dec. 3, a banner at the same location was allegedly stolen; both had been put up by members of the Northern California Islamic Council.
As of Wednesday, police said that detectives were in the process of submitting both cases to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office for review. A spokesperson with San Jose police said the department would request hate crime charges alongside the warrants.
“There is zero tolerance for hate, and hate crimes in San Jose,” said Chief of Police Anthony Mata in a statement. “All hate incidents are treated with the utmost seriousness and will be given priority attention. I’m thankful for the partnership and trust our department has built with our community partners to keep our community safe!”
Detectives are actively looking for additional witnesses. If anyone has additional information about this case, they can contact Detective Soria and/or Detective Madera at [email protected] and/or [email protected].
The incident was the latest in a series of tense interactions in response to the Israel-Hamas war. Last month, a strip of the Bay Bridge was shut down as protestors calling for a ceasefire in Gaza blocked the westward lanes heading into San Francisco during the global APEC summit. At least 80 arrests were made during the demonstration.