A California coffee shop has fired the employees who harassed a Jewish customer after the incident which was captured on video went viral on social media, sparking outrage.
The confrontation took place when the customer at Farley’s East in Oakland complained about anti-Semitic graffiti in the restroom and was berated by a trio of the establishment’s employees who blocked the door and harassed her about Israel’s efforts to eliminate Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
In the video, an obese employee with multi-colored hair and wearing a COVID mask stands in front of the restroom door while another worker who is also wearing a mask along with a yellow beanie tells the customer that the cafe is “private property” while a third Farley’s staffer, an unmasked male, tells her “I know Israel loves taking private property…” as she is told to leave.
No Jews allowed in the restroom apparently. This is what happens when you go to a leftist establishment. pic.twitter.com/XBLbqj1DQO
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) December 7, 2023
The customer, who had already used the restroom, was trying to get back inside to document the offensive graffiti. The video then shows the employees relenting and opening the door, showing the words “Zionism = fascism” scrawled on a mirror and “Your neutrality/apathy is enabling genocide” written above a diaper changing station.
“History didn’t start in 1948, lady,” the male employee told her, with the employees adding “Free Palestine” after she was allowed to record the anti-Semitic messages in the restroom.
“In response to the recent incident at our family-owned cafe, we want to offer an acknowledgment and a sincere apology,” Farley’s said in a statement after the video went viral. “As context, hate speech graffiti was written in our restroom. We do not support hate speech; this does not reflect our values.”
“The staff handled the situation poorly and we apologize for this error and the distress caused to the customer. We’ve taken corrective measures with our staff and removed the offensive graffiti,” the statement read. “We’re not anti-Semitic; we value diversity and inclusivity. We’re committed to ongoing staff training for a safe and welcoming environment.”
Ironically, a rainbow-colored sign in front of the establishment reads “You Belong Here.”
(Video: YouTube/KPIX)
“On Sunday, we fell short of this vision. What began as a civil dialogue between our staff and a Jewish customer escalated into a situation that was shocking and unacceptable. Events like these strike fear in the Jewish community and perpetuate the rise of anti-Semitism in our community and around the world,” Farley’s owners Amy and Chris Hillyard said in a statement posted to social media.
“We do not tolerate any behavior at Farley’s that makes people feel unwelcome or unsafe. Because this act was not aligned with our values, the employees involved in the incident are no longer employed by Farley’s,” they said, stating that such actions are unacceptable.
Sadly, it’s just another ugly anti-Semitic incident in Joe Biden’s America where his Democratic party has spent years nurturing the climate of hatred that is now being directed against Jewish people.
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