CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (September 5, 2024) — The Chicago Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is calling for a thorough investigation by the Chicago Police Department (CPD) into incidents of hate crimes and violence against Palestinian supporters and peaceful protestors.
The latest attack occurred over Labor Day weekend at Nabala Café, a Palestinian-owned business, where a window displaying a Palestinian flag was shattered. Despite video evidence and witness testimony suggesting a targeted attack, it is currently being investigated as property damage. "Incidents like this have happened so often over the last year, and they are just a continuation of a pattern of violence that has existed for decades,” the café stated. This follows a string of assaults against peaceful protestors at the DNC just a few weeks ago.
Among those targeted during the DNC protests was a young Palestinian-American woman and her friend, both wearing hijabs. They were singled out from a crowd of protestors on a CTA platform and arrested by CPD with the use of excessive force, for which CAIR-Chicago is filing a complaint with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA).
“It was very obvious why we were targeted and others weren’t,” said Watfe. “A large male officer forcefully pinned my hands behind my back, and I felt my fingers go numb. I was never read my Miranda rights and screamed for him to loosen his grip. Afterwards, my arms were sore for days, and I later found a large bruise on my leg.”
In another disturbing event., an elderly woman was forcefully pushed to the ground by CPD officers who were kettling the crowd.
Nadia, another protestor, was attacked by multiple assailants inside the United Center while holding a “Stop Arming Israel” sign. After being struck on the head with DNC signs, she was diagnosed with a concussion, headaches, and had pain lasting two weeks after the incident. She stated, “This incident has been covered extensively in the news with no response from the Chicago Police Department or the City of Chicago. Violent crimes and hate crimes deserve investigation. Power and position should shield no man from violence against a woman.” Nadia has a petition signed by over 350 people, demanding action and a hate crime investigation into this incident.
“Incidents of violence targeting Palestinians target us all by extension. Our rights are only as strong as the weakest link. That is the founding premise of any rule-of-law society,” said CAIR-Chicago's Executive Director, Ahmed Rehab.
CAIR-Chicago’s mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote understanding.
