Last week, a man threw a 20-pound rock through a window of an Iraqi restaurant in Lowell, Massachussetts — with the motivation behind the act of vandalism still remaining unclear. The Lowell Sun reports that the owner of the restaurant, Leyla Al-Zubaydi, was driven “to tears, and [it] prompted her to question whether the family should close the restaurant.”
But this week, a group of military veterans changed her mind with an act of solidarity. Patrick Scanlon, a Vietnam veteran and a coordinator for Veterans for Peace, organized so many veterans and other supporters to come and patronize the restaurant that they ended up filling every seat — twice. “For someone to come and throw a rock through this window, in what we consider a hate crime, is totally unacceptable,” said veteran Pat Scanlon. The Lowell Sun captured video of the outpouring of support for the restaurant. Watch it:
“This solidarity gives us the courage to stand,” said Al-Zubaidi. “There is no more fear in my heart because there are such nice people behind us.” (HT: Reddit user rootGrapefruit)
Update:
Occupy Lowell will be doing an event in solidarity with the restaurant on Friday as well. They are going to “occupy” the restaurant and eat in support.