Someone recently vandalized a sign on the Little India restaurant in Denver's Speer neighborhood. "Hail Trump," reads the message.
Update: An additional example of vandalism has been added to this story.
Of course, it's impossible to say for sure who may have written the message and why. However, the fact that it appeared on a business that serves ethnic food and the apparent reference to the "Heil Hitler" greeting of Nazi Germany are certain to raise some concerns. We've heard widespread reports of vandalism, assaults and intimidation of women and minority populations since the election (see Boulder, for example), along with at least one report of violence against Trump supporters.
I saw the photo above on r/Denver and then called the restaurant. An assistant manager said he wasn't aware of any vandalism. However, he sent out an employee, who confirmed that someone had indeed written "Hail Trump."
The assistant manager said the message would be removed immediately, but deferred further comment to the store's management. I'll update if I hear more.
Skuwee, the reddit user who noticed the message, promised to eat there in support "because I think it's obvious why they're the only business (that I noticed) that got their sign defaced in the area." They also have a pretty mean happy hour deal, Skuwee notes.
If you know of other incidences of vandalism, intimidation or assault related to the election, email me.
Update:
Brittney, who declined to give her last name for fear of professional repercussions, emailed me to say her house on 9th Street was vandalized with the same words. She and her husband are white, non-religious and in their mid-30s, she wrote, and they haven't had political signs on the property.
The message appeared on Nov. 6 in permanent marker, she wrote.
"Honestly, I chalked it up to a bored person walking by. There is a TON of foot traffic by our garage," she wrote. "Even while I was painting over 'Hail Trump' an older neighbor commented that our covered windows, 'are the perfect canvas!'"
The culprit, she hopes, "is just dumb and wasn't purposefully targeting Little India."
