The local chapter of Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo was vandalized on Friday night with swastikas and antisemitic graffiti, according to the fraternity and the college.
In an instagram post Saturday evening, the fraternity said:
Last week, on January 27th, we honored the memory of the 6 million Jews who perished and others affected by the Holocaust. Unfortunately, in 2021, antisemitism is still the number one cause of hate crimes in the United States.
This morning, a hateful group of people committed an antisemitic hate crime on our chapter house. We awoke to multiple swastikas and antisemitic statements spray-painted on and in front of our house. This was targeted at us, as the Jewish fraternity, and we would like to let the world know we do not tolerate or condone this behavior. Our chapter and the entire San Luis Obispo Jewish community stand together proudly against those who are uneducated and who encourage hateful acts.
We are proud to be the Jewish fraternity on this campus, and at this time we ask for your support in spreading awareness about rising antisemitism through education and discussion. AEPi and the Jewish community have an open door to anyone who wishes to learn about our culture and beliefs. It is our mission to make Cal Poly a safe place for everyone.
Shabbat Shalom — Peace and Love
The university has condemned the crime, which was reported to police.
Several California colleges and universities, public and private, have experienced a rise in antisemitism in recent years, including the years prior to 2016. Fraternities were vandalized, Jews were heckled for standing up for Israel, and Jewish students were even barred from participation in student government bodies.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2019 extending the protections of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to cover Jewish students on college campuses by interpreting the statute more broadly.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His newest e-book is How Not to Be a Sh!thole Country: Lessons from South Africa. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.