The El Cerrito Police Department is investigating a hate crime and is asking the public for help in identifying a male who pushed a woman down and then burned the Israel flag in the street.
On Saturday, January 6, 2024, a group of ceasefire demonstrators, and an accompanying group of counter-demonstrators marched from Albany into El Cerrito.
The group of approximately 100 protesters took over the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and Carlson Boulevard, blocking traffic for over an hour, while a small group of counter-protesters stood on the sidewalk holding Israeli flags. Many callers reported pushing and shoving, and language they deemed threatening, but one incident in particular was clearly of a criminal nature.
A male protester pushed a woman down to the ground from behind, causing a minor injury, and took her Israel flag from her hands by force. He then burned the flag in the street. This crime was captured on video and is being investigated as a hate crime. The suspect in this case was wearing a distinctive jacket and is pictured in the attached images.
The El Cerrito Police Department supports the constitutional rights of all people to freedom of speech and assembly. However, when these acts become criminal, they will be thoroughly investigated and presented to the District Attorneys Office for review and prosecution when appropriate.
The El Cerrito Police Department is requesting that any witnesses, those with video evidence, or if you are able to identify the individual in the photos please contact us at 510-215-4417 or by email at [email protected].
Original Post
On Saturday, January 6th, 2024, a group of protesters and counter-protesters arrived in the City of El Cerrito from a start point in Albany and took over the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and Carlson Boulevard for over an hour. The El Cerrito Police Department has become aware of an incident involving a member of one of the groups taking a flag from a member of the opposing group by force and burning it. The El Cerrito Police Department is investigating this incident and is requesting that any witnesses or those with video evidence please contact us at 510-215-4417 or by email at investigations@ci.el–cerrito.
Note – this is being investigated as a hate crime.
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3 comments
So it’s a hate crime to burn an Israeli flag but not a US flag? #Trump2024 # VoteOutDemocrats
It’s a hate crime to push someone down because of her religion / ethnicity, steal her property and then burn said property in order to reiterate the hatred. I’m no fan of hate crime laws but since the laws do exist this is a prime candidate for prosecution. More to the point, the only way these pro hamas tereor mostly peaceful riots stop is for people to be charged and jailes when they do commit crimes at rhese events.
These groups of demonstrators and counter-demonstrators are all misguided. They accomplish nothing except, apparently, feeding their egos.
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