North Texas Activists Face Hate Crime Charges, Prison Time for Anti-Israel Graffiti
A self-proclaimed “lifelong activist” will face a Tarrant County jury this month in a case that legal experts claim erodes the First Amendment rights of protesters and critics of the nation of Israel.
Raunaq Alam, 32, is accused of using spray paint to write the phrase “Fuck Israel” along the side of a non-denominational church in Euless in 2024. Tarrant County criminal records show Alam was initially charged with graffiti causing a loss of between $100 and $750, a Class B misdemeanor in Texas.
But Alam now faces between two and 10 years in prison for the graffiti after prosecutors upgraded the charges and the associated penalties using Texas’ hate crime statute. Alam is now charged with criminal mischief causing damage to a place of worship, a felony, and prosecutors now claim the financial burden of the graffiti costs more than was initially recorded in arrest records, The Guardian reports.
In Texas, punishments for certain crimes can be enhanced if the state can prove the crime stemmed from the offender's bias or prejudice toward a class’ protected characteristics, which can include race or ethnicity, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.
Read more: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/tarrant-county-activist-charged-with-hate-crime-for-israel-critique-23188969