Winnipeg Palestinian cafe vandalized with hate note

Winnipeg Police Investigate Damage at Habibiz Cafe

Winnipeg police are looking into an incident at Habibiz Cafe. Two individuals were caught on camera damaging the property. The cafe owner reported that windows were smashed and a note with hateful language was found.

Details of the Incident

The incident occurred around 5 a.m. on Sunday in Winnipeg. The owner was informed by a staff member and rushed to the cafe. Upon arrival, he discovered two front windows smashed. He also found a note that told them to leave their country, called them terrorists, and included a slur.

Owner’s Reaction

“Coming to the restaurant and seeing what happened, my mom was upset, she was crying, she wanted us to close, my staff are scared, but that doesn’t give us no reason to close and go home,” said Ali Zeid, owner of Habibiz Cafe.

Response from NCCM

The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) stated that this incident was not surprising. “This follows a much larger pattern of rising anti-Palestine racism and anti-Muslim sentiment across our country, both in Manitoba and across Canada. So, we are ready to see some action, increased action on the part of our elected officials on this,” said Sadaf Ahmed, Government Affairs and Public Policy Officer with NCCM.

Police Statement

At a press conference on Monday, Winnipeg police services said they are investigating the incident. They take all hate-motivated incidents very seriously. Despite the challenges, the cafe remains in high spirits.

Community Support

“There’s no words to what happened, right? There’s no words you can say, except thank you to the community, thank you to the public, that made us stay strong together, made us believe in one another, made us stay open, we never closed, we are gonna fix it and continue on,” said Zeid.

Message Against Hate

“Listen, there is no room for hate in this beautiful country. There’s no hate in Winnipeg, there’s no hate in Manitoba.”