Brooke Jenkins deletes tweet calling Palestinian demonstration 'pro-Hamas rally'
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has offered an explanation for her now-deleted post in which she referred to a protest in support of Palestine as a "pro-Hamas" rally.
Jenkins had said on X, formerly Twitter, that, "This weekend a pro-Hamas rally was held downtown, where 'Death 2 Israel', amongst other hateful rhetoric was graffitied across buildings. At this time, the suspects are unknown, and are assumed to have been associated with the protest."
The event that Jenkins mentioned was, in fact, an "All out for Gaza" rally on Saturday, which attracted thousands of demonstrators to Market Street, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Some attendees reportedly carried banners that expressed messages like "No more human suffering" and "Rise up for Palestine — end Israeli apartheid."
Hundreds demonstrate in the East Bay to condemn attacks in Israel
Hundreds of demonstrators of Israeli descent and their allies marched through the streets of Walnut Creek Tuesday night, carrying flags and photos of the victims.
Protesters vandalized buildings with spray-painted graffiti that read "Death to Zionism Kill a Settler" and "Death 2 Israel," according to city officials, including Mayor London Breed.
However, law enforcement had not made any arrests or identified any suspects linked to the graffiti.
Jenkins also wrote, "This incitement of violence is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. When there is evidence of a hate crime, it will be charged as such. I denounce antisemitism, Islamophobia, and religiously motivated hate in every form."
However, Jenkins decided to delete her thread following concerns raised by members of the Muslim and Arab communities regarding its potential implications and interpretations.
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She addressed these concerns with new messages on social media by saying, "I listened & understand their concerns & as a result, deleted the tweet. I do not support violence. The clearly antisemitic graffiti has no place in SF & we must be mindful that a person who chooses to engage in hateful acts is not representative of an entire community/faith."
She added "We must also acknowledge that these types of acts have the potential to lead to retaliation or an escalation in hateful conduct - which hurts us all. This is a time when we must all come together to stand against hate and violence of all kinds."
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Jenkins recognized the significant loss of life among both Israelis and Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which was sparked by an unprecedented surprise attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7.
In the wake of this conflict, there has been a rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia on a global and local scale.
"We acknowledge that our Arab, Muslim & Jewish communities are in pain bc of the loss of innocent lives & fearful of what may come next.9/ No form of hate will be tolerated in San Francisco," said Jenkins. "I believe we must use this time as a catalyst for engaging in a meaningful discourse and understanding as a city and a nation for how we can end suffering during this difficult time."