A few days later police arrested a suspect - and he wasn't a white nationalist.
A suspect was charged Thursday in connection with an alleged hate crime at Oakland’s Temple Sinai, where a black swastika was found scrawled in paint on the historic wooden sanctuary doors early Monday morning.Freddie Lee Smith, also known as Zachary RunningWolf, a 57-year-old Berkeley man, was charged with six felonies, including vandalism and violation of civil rights with a hate crime enhancement, according to Alameda County assistant district attorney Teresa Drenick. Smith describes himself as an “Indigenous Elder” and is well known in Berkeley as a frequent mayoral candidate.Footage from the synagogue’s security cameras, turned over to Oakland police, was instrumental in identifying the alleged perpetrator.According to the arrest report, Smith’s backpack and shirt matched images of the suspect, and police found several cans of spray-paint in his backpack. He was charged with the most recent incident as well as with two others that took place earlier this month, including painting the words “Bye bye evil evil evil Jews.”
Smith claims to be a native American.
His platform for his most recent campaign to be mayor of Berkeley sounds like he is about as leftist as they get:
With California’s 99% Genocide of Indigenous Peoples, vote for Berkeley’s FIRST Indigenous Mayor Pikuni/Blackfeet Elder Zachary RunningWolf. Want free Housing, Health Care, Education, Clean Water, Energy, & Food? Reparations and Decolonization are the answer. Ohlone Sovereignty means Natural Law enforcement and societal wealth distribution in accordance with Indigenous Principles. All basic needs could be met with ending the hoarding of wealth. RunningWolf supports Black Lives Matter and affirms that Red Lives are Sacred - abolish the colonial prisons & police!
His Twitter feed is filled with dozens of references to Jews, including "bad Jews" who are Zionists. He also refers to the Elders of Zion a number of times.
I cannot find a word against this vandalism by any of the supposed fighters against antisemitism - Jewish Voice for Peace or IfNotNow or Linda Sarsour or Rashida Tlaib or Marc Lamont Hill.
Because they are invested in the lie that antisemitism comes from the Right.
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