Armenian School In San Francisco Vandalized With Hateful Graffiti
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- In the wake of a profane and racist graffiti attack on San Francisco's KZV Armenian School, the local Armenian community came together Friday afternoon to pray and show their strength.
The tagging was discovered Friday morning, much of it using curse words.
"That very hatred is coming home and impacting us, our community, our school children," said Haig Baghdassarian of the Armenian National Committee of America.
School is not in session because of summer break and the coronavirus pandemic, but the Armenian community is still furious and worried.
"When people ask why is the Armenian genocide still relevant after 100 years, this is just one clear example of why," Baghdassarian told KPIX 5.
KZV principal Grace Andonian handed over campus surveillance video along with leftover spray paint cans to the San Francisco Police Department, which is investigating the tagging as vandalism.
"I am very overwhelmed. I am in shock. I am so sad to see this kind of hate messages written on the walls of a school where children learn," Andonian told KPIX 5.
San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin posted about the vandalism on his Twitter account earlier Friday and promised his office would be involved with the investigation.
Someone vandalized the Armenian school/community center. I'm outraged. This is totally inconsistent with San Francisco values. It is also a CRIME. We are working with @sfpd to investigate. We stand with our Armenian brothers and sisters.https://t.co/xUp2FYqGT4
— Chesa Boudin 博徹思 (@chesaboudin) July 24, 2020
Parents and alumni painted a large sign to block some of the graffiti from the view of traffic on Brotherhood Way. It reads "Armenians Stand Against Hate."