January 18, 2022
Police are investigating graffiti in a South Side neighborhood as a hate crime.
Between the hours of midnight and 5:00 a.m., a vandal struck the Mirza Emporium, a locally owned business. Painted in red letters on the store’s window were the words “Go Home F*cking Terrorists 14/88.” The 14/88 numbers are believed to be a nod to white supremacy, 14 being a reference to the fourteen words of a slogan used by a white terrorist organization and the 88 symbolizing “heil Hitler,” H being the eighth letter of the alphabet.
“Since 2016, there has been a disturbing uptick in hate crimes in America, in general. In Illinois alone, we’ve seen an alarming increase in anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim hate crimes,” said Noor Jackson, director of the city’s Hate Crime Task Force. “In Chicago, diversity is our strength. We will not tolerate intolerance.”
Police arrived at the scene early this morning and began canvassing the neighborhood for eyewitnesses. No arrests have been made. If you have information about this incident, the Chicago police ask that you call the tip line: 312-555-5555.