Asher Shalom is a legal immigrant from Israel and businessman who employs many immigrants. He recently opened a new cafe in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles. Locals and the business community were welcoming until it became known that Shalom had shared something on social media which showed support for Trump’s immigration policies.
CBS News Los Angeles reports:
‘I Love Peace,’ Says Boyle Heights Cafe Owner Of Protest Over Support Of Trump Immigration PoliciesResidents of a rapidly gentrifying enclave of Los Angeles tried to shut down the grand opening of a new coffee shop, saying the owner’s support of President Donald Trump’s stance on immigrants is reason alone to want him out of the neighborhood.On Thursday, protesters held signs and screamed at patrons in front of Asher Caffe & Lounge located at 945 S. Boyle Ave. in Boyle Heights, a traditionally Jewish neighborhood that is now predominately Latino. They say they oppose the cafe and the owner over his support of Trump’s immigration policies.“So what’s the connection? This is what I don’t understand. I’m confused — the connection between Donald Trump and good coffee,” Israeli-born businessman Asher Shalom told CBS2 News.The kosher cafe was set to have a grand opening on July 12, the day anti-gentrification activists were met by Los Angeles Police officers blocking the entrance.According to Eater LA, about 30 protesters associated with the group Defend Boyle Heights (DBH) showed up to speak up against Shalom, who they called “an anti-immigrant trump loving gentryfier” in a Facebook post.
This is what set off the rage of the left:
The Boyle Heights Chamber of Commerce, which had invited Shalom to join and was slated to attend the grand opening, terminated his membership days before the confrontation. In a letter from chamber president Jennifer Lahoda, she mentions a photo shared by Shalom on his Facebook page reading, “I wish Democrats would fight as hard for Americans, as they do for illegals.”
The protest got very nasty:
“They really intensely protested and accosted all the visitors that came to our grand opening event,” said son David.“It was very scary,” said Shalom’s daughter Yael. “There was a lot of people protesting outside wearing masks […] and they threw a significant amount of feces at our windows.”
Here’s the CBS Los Angeles video report:
Featured image via YouTube.
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