San Francisco DA addresses safety concerns as data shows hate crimes grow in US

Bay Area Jewish organizations are saying people are being attacked simply for being Jewish.

There’s been two high-profile antisemitic incidents in San Francisco recently — one at Manny’s and another in the Marina that left a man unconscious, according to the district attorney’s office.

This prompted DA Brooke Jenkins to address safety at a virtual meeting Monday.

Jenkins promised to prosecute hate crimes as she can under the law.

“A lot of this is about open communication, trusting us that we will do our jobs and to hang in there during what we know is a difficult time,” Jenkins said. “But we will all get through this.”

But the cases and more incidents are sparking continued discussions around safety for the Jewish community.

The Anti-Defamation League said in April that there were more than 9,300 cases in the U.S. last year — a record.

And California was a hotspot with nearly 1,350 incidents.

“These aren’t just isolated events, they’re a part of a wave of intimidation that’s left people scared to walk down the street to wear a star of David or host a public event,” said Julia Mates of the Jewish Community Relations Bay Area.

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