An Oakland coffee shop has apologized after its employees verbally abused a Jewish woman before blocking her entry into a bathroom filled with antisemitic graffiti.
Footage of the incident, which was first posted on X by the StopAntisemitism account but later removed at the request of the woman, showed a male staffer at Farley’s East coffee house telling a Jewish woman that she wanted to use the bathroom because “Israel loves taking private property and saying it’s their own.”
“I was a patron here and I have a right to go into the restroom,” the woman is heard saying.
“And we have a right to refuse service,” the man replied.
An employee then suggests the woman can use the bathroom in another shop, an offer the woman declines.
“No, I want to use this one,” she argued. “I should not be excluded and other people allowed.”
When she eventually pushes her way in, she films the graffiti with messages such as “Zionism = Fascism,” “Your neutrality/apathy is enabling genocide,” and “Free Palestine.”
“History didn’t start in 1948, lady,” the male staffer snapped.
Oakland, CA – 3 antisemitic employees at Farley’s East coffee house (33 Grand Ave.) are filmed denying a Jewish woman’s access to a bathroom after she complained that it was filled with antisemitic graffiti.
After FINALLY allowing her inside the restroom, the employees start… pic.twitter.com/t3rFMyRIDH
— nycphotog (@nycphotog) December 7, 2023
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After the video went viral across social media, the shop issued a full apology for the incident, writing on Instagram that such behavior “does not reflect our values.”
“As context, hate speech graffiti was written in our bathroom,” the statement read. “We do not support hate speech; this does not reflect our values.”
“After a customer used the bathroom and wished to return to document the graffiti, they were initially denied access and then allowed to re-enter to document the graffiti.”
“The staff handled the situation poorly, and we apologize for this error and the distress caused to the customer. We’ve taken corrective measures with our staff and removed the offensive graffiti.
“We’re not antisemitic; we value diversity and inclusivity. We’re committed to ongoing staff training for a safe and welcoming environment. Thank you for understanding that we are a small business doing our best to operate a community business in a difficult environment.”
It is not clear whether any staff members were fired.
UPDATE: Farley’s East in Oakland CA has apologized for the antisemitic behavior of their employees, stating “corrective measures” have been taken.
We are unclear if anyone was fired.
At the request of the individual victim, we have now removed the video of the incident. pic.twitter.com/0ckLx4Jbt2
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) December 7, 2023
Antisemitic incidents have surged in recent months as a result of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Yet even Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, America’s highest-ranking Jewish official, has admitted that the majority of these incidents are the result of left-wing, pro-Palestinian activists using antisemitism as a vehicle for venting their political frustrations.
