Mayor Khan Addresses Hate Incidents

Citizen takes down White supremacist banner above the 405 at Jeffrey Road. Video credit @SamiJoji13

In November Irvine saw hate splashed across one of its busiest thoroughfares. Last week, hanging over the 405 at Jeffrey Road was an enormous banner espousing antisemitic, Islamophobic, and homophobic paranoid nonsense. A concerned citizen cut down the banner, but this wasn’t the first time these trolls attempted to espouse White supremacy.

Multiple banners were hung on the 405 near Culver Drive with similar messages on November 14th. As Irvine’s leader, Mayor Farrah Khan isn’t taking these scenes of hate lightly.

“We will not tolerate hate in our great city,” says Mayor Khan. “We ask our community to join us in promoting peace, unity, and inclusiveness throughout Irvine.”

Khan and the Irvine City Council have taken many steps to address hate in Irvine already. In 2021, Irvine City Council unanimously adopted the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resolution, launched the diversity campaign We Are Irvine, and implemented a multilingual hate crime reporting portal through the Irvine Police Department. In light of these recent hate incidents at Irvine freeway overpasses, Mayor Khan announced today that she will introduce a resolution addressing antisemitism during the December 14th City Council meeting.

Irvine Police Chief Michael Kent is also speaking out. Recently sworn in as the city’s first Police Chief to grow up in Irvine, Kent finds the situation disconcerting.

“I am deeply concerned about the impact of these incidents on our diverse community,” says Kent. “I want to assure our residents, businesses, and visitors that maintaining public safety continues to be my top priority. If you are a victim of a hate crime or hate incident, we ask that you call 911 or our non-emergency number at 949-724-7200. You can also report hate crimes or hate incidents online.”

Mayor Khan will bring the above resolution to the December 14th Irvine City Council Meeting.