Civil rights group seeks stepped up protection for protesters, urges elected officials to publicly condemn incidents
(BALTIMORE, MD, 9/6/25) – The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned a reported pattern of racist, pro-Israel vandalism and harassment allegedly targeting the vehicles of residents participating in peaceful weekly anti-genocide vigils for Palestine in Montgomery County.
Protesters’ legally-parked vehicles have allegedly been defaced and vandalized multiple times. In one incident, white paint was sprayed over three “Free Palestine” bumper stickers. A six-pointed star was also sprayed on a vehicle’s passenger door. The owner of the vehicle, a Jewish woman who is a lifelong Maryland resident, had been attending the nearby weekly Friday solidarity vigil for Palestine.
This follows a prior incident four weeks earlier in which stickers of Israeli soldiers were reportedly left on six vehicles belonging to vigil participants, and a magnetic pro-Palestine bumper sticker was stolen.
In addition to vandalism, participants report routine harassment, including having to endure slurs, spitting, and objects thrown at them. Despite prior complaints to law enforcement, the latest vandalism marks a clear escalation of hostility against the organizers exercising their First Amendment rights.
In a statement, CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
“Targeting peaceful anti-genocide protesters with racist vandalism and intimidation is an egregious violation of their rights and safety. We call on law enforcement authorities to prioritize the safety of these residents, investigate the incidents as hate crimes and ensure accountability for the perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law.
“We urge County Executive Marc Elrich and the county council to break their silence, publicly condemn this wave of intolerance and send a strong message that targeting individuals for speaking out against genocide and injustice will not be tolerated in Montgomery County or anywhere in Maryland.”
Earlier this year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report, Unconstitutional Crackdowns, which reveals that Islamophobia remains at record-high levels nationwide. CAIR said viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.
Washington, D.C., based CAIR encourages community members facing bias or hate incidents to report them to law enforcement and to CAIR.
Report an incident to CAIR: https://www.cair.com/report/
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com