UPDATE:
After publication of this article, APD released a statement responding to the attacks on El Jardin Santuario, which it has classified as hate crimes. APD requests anyone with information about the theft and series of hate crimes contact its Investigations Unit at (707) 822-2428 or its anonymous tip line at (707) 825-2588. Additionally, images taken from El Jardin Santuario’s cameras have been posted to APD’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
PREVIOUSLY:
Community members recently gathered in El Jardin Santuario, a public garden and safe space for immigrants and the BIPOC community in Arcata, to prepare signs and letters to bring to the Arcata City Council — a call to action in response to another attack on the garden in the first week of June. Since July 2022, the garden’s sign has been repeatedly vandalized, its crops cut down, cameras stolen and gates locked.
Brenda Perez, executive director of Centro Del Pueblo, led concerned neighbors and volunteers to the Arcata City Hall. During a recent city council meeting’s public comment period, she demanded action. She said the continued attacks reflect a failure of local government and police to uphold their commitments to diverse communities. In 2017, the council declared Arcata a sanctuary city. In doing so, she said, Arcata committed to protecting its migrant communities.
“This cannot be called a sanctuary city with these hate crimes,” Perez said in public comment. “We are here to demand a stop to the hate crimes, [there’s] been more than 12, and its unsustainable, unbearable … I cannot listen to more sorries from you or the police department. I need action.”
In the first attack, on July 22, 2022, the garden’s sign was painted black with the words “America USA” scrawled across it. Once in August and again in October, vandals cut down young corn and left it in the garden. In December, the garden gate, left open for the community, was chained and locked. The locking then recurred repeatedly through the following months. A garden kiosk hosting flyers for community events was pushed down in December. Since April, vandals have attempted to steal the cameras and security lights three times, succeeding twice.
Carlos Holguin, a garden volunteer, spoke at the meeting, saying the consistent attacks have brought on a feeling of fear for himself and the community.
“As much as we would like to pretend Arcata is a safe place, sometimes it isn’t, and that’s especially true for people like me, people like my friends here,” Holguin said to the city council. “How much longer do we have to wait? What else has to happen before it’s addressed? What if the vandalism is not the place where it ends, but the place where it begins?”
Perez and other community members called for public support from the Arcata City Council. She invited council members to help clean the vandalized signs during the next volunteer day.
“I need more steps to know they are allies. It’s symbolic for them to come to clean the mess, to discuss it publicly, to bring awareness,” Perez said. “I’m asking them to have a long-term vision of Arcata without the hate crimes.”
Perez has also asked neighbors of the garden to form a community watch, especially at night, when the attacks occurred.
Since the meeting, Arcata City Council members unanimously voted to allocate $5,000 to El Jardin Santuario, which will be part of the budget for the upcoming year. Mayor Sarah Schaefer says she’s committed to helping Centro Del Pueblo beyond financial support.
“We unanimously voted to allocate $5,000 to Centro del Pueblo to use to revamp their security system and provide whatever physical safety protocols could help,” Schaefer says. “I want to make myself available to be able to meet with her and other leaders to hear what they think will work to improve the safety of the garden and how we can work together beyond a monetary contribution.”
Though Schafer cannot make the next volunteer day, other council members plan to attend. Councilmember Stacy Atkins-Salazar says she will be there to work, listen and stand in solidarity.
“The destruction of El Jardin Santuario is more than simply vandalism; it is causing fear and upset in members of a vulnerable community,” Atkins-Salazar says. “As people in leadership, it is both our privilege and our responsibility to support our most vulnerable community members.”
APD Sgt. Chris Ortega says investigating and deterring hate crimes is of high priority for the department but adds El Jardin Santuario organizers rejected APD’s offers to park a marked patrol car overnight or increase police presence and surveillance at the garden.
“APD is responsive to the needs and comfort level of all victims of crime when interacting with the police,” Ortega says. “Garden organizers declined proactive investigative measures in the form of physical and video surveillance and monitoring, as this may be too intrusive for some of the users of their space. They also declined high visibility deterrents such as posting a marked patrol car overnight for the same reasons.”
No suspect or person of interest has been identified in the case. APD asks anyone with information to contact detective Victoria Johnson at (707) 822-2428 or to leave a tip on the department’s anonymous tip line at (707) 825-2588.
Those interested in supporting El Jardin Santuario and Centro Del Pueblo can find information online at cdpueblo.com or @centrodelpueblo on Instagram. El Jardin Santuario’s volunteer hours are Wednesdays, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon.
Ollie Hancock (they/them) is a staff writer at the Journal. Reach them at (707) 442-1400, extension 317, or ollie@northcoastjournal.com.
This article appears in Launching Nigilax̂.