Three employees at Farley’s East, a coffee shop in Oakland, California, have been fired after being caught on video engaging in an antisemitic altercation with a Jewish woman. The video, which has since gone viral, shows the employees blocking the woman from accessing the bathroom and making anti-Israel comments.

Amy and Chris Hillyard, owners of Farley’s East, took to social media on Sunday to address the incident, stating that the behavior of the employees seen berating the customer was “shocking and unacceptable.” They affirmed their commitment to creating a welcoming and safe environment at Farley’s, declaring that the actions of these employees did not align with the shop’s values, leading to their dismissal.

The controversy began when the customer, after noticing antisemitic graffiti in the shop’s restroom, attempted to re-enter to document it. The graffiti included statements such as “Zionism = fascism” and messages denouncing neutrality on the issue. When she tried to re-enter the restroom, the employees prevented her, with one saying that the café was “private property” and she needed to leave.

As the situation escalated, one employee was heard making a provocative comment about Israel and private property, further aggravating the confrontation. Despite the customer’s insistence on her rights as a patron, the employees doubled down on their refusal to allow her access to the restroom.

The incident took a turn when an employee from a neighboring business offered the use of their restroom. However, the customer insisted on using the one at Farley’s East to document the graffiti. An employee then remarked, “All you’re going to get is a video of us saying that ‘Zionism is antisemitism’ because it is,” challenging the customer’s intent to photograph the graffiti.

The confrontation continued, with the employees making statements like “Free Palestine” and dismissing historical references to Israel’s establishment in 1948. They also accused the woman of “misgendering” an employee during the altercation. The incident, which was captured on video, quickly went viral, garnering over 2.6 million views after being shared by StopAntisemitism.

Following the public outrage, Farley’s initially issued an apology on Thursday, acknowledging the staff’s poor handling of the situation and the distress caused to the customer. They also said that they had removed the offensive graffiti and were committed to ongoing staff training to ensure a safe and welcoming environment.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)