Arcata Police Department press release:

On Friday February 2, 2024, the Arcata Police Department responded to Mad River Community Hospital for a complaint of an anti-Semitic poster in a bathroom. The message consisted of “Butcher Zionist Pigs” and depicted a hooded executioner holding an axe next to a pig wearing a tuxedo.

APD is investigating this incident as a hate crime as the messaging calls for violence against national origin, which is a legally protected status. It placed people in our community in fear and was seemingly intended to be threatening in nature.

APD is looking into the potential for surveillance footage from within the hospital to try to identify and hold the perpetrator or perpetrators accountable. 

The Arcata Police Department takes this and all hate incidents very seriously as they can have a significant impact on our community. We are requesting anyone with information to contact the Arcata Police Department’s Investigations Unit at 707-822-2424, or our Anonymous Tip-Line at 707-825-2588.