A wave of vandalism has struck Evanston and Skokie, as residents say that “Black Lives Matter” signs that they’ve placed in their front yards have been either stolen or damaged.
“It was shocking and it was frightening that someone would come onto my property and take it,” one resident said.
Numerous residents have reported incidents in recent months, and one resident even said a vandal left a note on her property.
“They left a letter about how I should change my sign to ‘Black Lives Count,”” Corrie Wallace said. “They said Black Lives Matter is anti-Semitic and anti-Israel.”
Even Lake Street Church in Evanston has been victimized by vandals, as multiple “Black Lives Matter” signs have been damaged in front of the building.
“We think of Evanston as a liberal city and an integrated town, and to realize there’s bias and racism like everywhere else is upsetting,” Betsy Wilson said.
Evanston and Skokie police have said they’ve been contacted multiple times about vandalism, and that residents have captured at least one photo of the alleged vandals.
Local
“(It’s) completely unacceptable to go onto somebody’s property and damage anything,” Evanston Police Commander Joe Dugan said. “If we can find the offender they will be charged accordingly.”
Michael Nabors, the head of the Evanston/North Shore chapter of the NAACP, places the blame for the rise in vandalism on the recent presidential election.
“It has to do with this most recent presidential election and with a president who is waffling on issues as it regards to race,” he said.
For Wallace and other residents of the area, the thefts and vandalism stem from a misunderstanding of what people mean when they post “Black Lives Matter” signs in their yards.
“People see ‘Black Lives Matter’ and somehow think that is the opposite of white supremacy, but it’s not the same thing,’ she said.
