SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) released a statement Monday condemning what it described as a hate crime against Sunnyvale volunteers for the Vigil of Gaza project. The organization urged the city’s Department of Public Safety to launch a full investigation.
CAIR-SFBA, part of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, issued its statement in response to an incident that occurred Nov. 7 involving an unidentified man attacking a peaceful demonstration on a highway pedestrian bridge.
According to CAIR-SFBA, volunteers for the Vigil of Gaza were “displaying banners calling for justice in Palestine” when a man approached, shouting racist slurs and profanities.
The confrontation reportedly escalated as witnesses described the man using a knife to cut a flag bungee cord and physically assaulting multiple volunteers who attempted to de-escalate the situation. Others said the man continued his assault with a flashlight, injuring several participants. Police were called to the scene.
Although the suspect was arrested, CAIR-SFBA said many volunteers were left “bloodied,” with at least one person requiring emergency medical care at a local hospital.
“We are outraged by this reported violent assault on community members peacefully advocating for Palestinian human rights,” said CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo. “This was not just vandalism—it was a hate-motivated attack that left people injured while exercising their right to free expression.”
Billoo urged the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety to investigate the incident as a hate crime and hold the perpetrator accountable. The department said it was committed to pursuing the case as a potential hate crime.
CAIR-SFBA reaffirmed its commitment to combating bigotry, racism and hate in all forms. Citing its 2025 Civil Rights Report, the organization noted that viewpoint discrimination continues to fuel Islamophobia, which remains at record-high levels nationwide. It also encouraged anyone who experiences racism, aggression or Islamophobia to contact its Civil Rights Department.
Vigil of Gaza volunteers said they will continue their peaceful bannering in support of Palestinian human rights and plan to return to the same Sunnyvale pedestrian bridge at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10.
“No one should fear for their safety while engaging in peaceful protest,” Billoo said. “Hate and intimidation have no place in our communities.”
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“No one should fear for their safety while engaging in peaceful protest,”
Amen to that.
“Hate and intimidation have no place in our communities.”
Amen to that.
I can find nothing about this incident anywhere online except the original press release cited. It is great the attacker was arrested. Is there any information on who the person is and if they are affiliated with any group or not mentally well? There was mention of blood and a knife, but not if people were stabbed as the source.
Note: it isn’t legal to affix protest signs to bridges, but clearly this is rarely enforced, and on the scale of things that need enforcing, this isn’t high on the list.
Is the Vanguard going to have an article about how the people trying to attend the TPUSA event at Cal Berkeley were treated and attacked last night by Antifa, Transtifa and leftist students?
Write the article and it will get published
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