A Winnipeg cafe is searching for answers after its business was attacked over the weekend.
Habibiz Cafe owners say someone came to their door at 4:50 a.m. on Sunday, smashed their windows and left a note that said, “Leave our country, terrorist.”
“I am angry that in a city like Winnipeg, where we boast about our ‘Friendly Manitoba’ spirit, a small business can be targeted by such cowardice,” said Habibiz Cafe. “We see the news; we know crime in our city is rising. We see the smashed storefronts and the “Plywood Avenue” forming across our business districts. But this wasn’t just a random act of theft. This was a targeted, hate-fueled attack.”
The owners say it is exhausting to watch international politics, conflicts thousands of miles away, be used as an excuse to dehumanize them here at home.
“We came here for safety. We stayed here for the community. Today, both feel fractured.”
Mayor Scott Gilingham took to social media to discuss this incident and the antisemitic graffiti at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue.
“While the victims are from different backgrounds, the intent behind these acts is the same: to intimidate Jewish and Palestinian Winnipeggers and sow division,” said Gillingham. “We cannot let that happen. An attack on a place of worship or a local family business is an attack on the safety of every citizen.”
The Winnipeg Police Service is investigating this incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Winnipeg Police Service.
