Kulturkampf

[benji]

Democratic candidate for governor Francesca Hong, the leftist in the race, called 911 on an anti-Israeli protest display in 2023, according to a report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The democratic socialist and frontrunner in the primary reported a protest display featuring a paint-splattered Israeli flag — a decision she told the outlet she regrets.

In late December 2023, Hong called Madison police twice to report a “highly antisemitic act” that she wanted to be “potentially investigated as a hate crime,” according to the police report obtained by the Journal Sentinel.

Hong, who represents part of downtown Madison as a member of the State Assembly, was sent a photograph of the protest display featuring an Israeli flag and fake bodies splattered with red paint.

Portions of Hong’s calls to police have been posted to TikTok in recent months.

“Three years ago, there was a piece of protest art at the encampments in Madison, which was photographed and posted to social media,” Hong said in a statement. “My constituents reported they felt threatened and alerted me to the social post, but the image was cropped and incomplete to misrepresent anti-Zionism as antisemitism – a distinction I take seriously.

“Based on their concerns for their safety and my incomplete information, I did something I regret deeply: I called the police and asked them to look into it. This turned out to be a mistake because the image posted to social media was intentionally misleading. I believe in free speech. I support a free Palestine. The genocide in Gaza and the colonization of the West Bank must end.”

Hong also texted Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway about the display, according to the report. Records also include a call to the non-emergency line from former Madison Ald. MGR Govindarajan, who represented the area on the City Council.

Hong told the police dispatcher that she was not at the site of the display but said she received a photo of it. She said she was “trying to figure out what the fastest way to take it down is because I’m not at the location.”

The dispatcher said he would have an officer look into it, but “I don’t know legally if officers can force somebody to take this down.”

Hong asked if it could be removed because it was on city property, and then said she’d like it to be investigated as a potential hate crime. The dispatcher said officers would first need to investigate whether a crime was committed.

In a second call, Hong again described the display to another dispatcher as “a display of antisemitism that’s pretty disturbing and jarring.”

In one post made in August 2020, first reported by CNN, Hong said, "I support defunding the police as a first step towards abolishing the police."

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"How is 7 bullets in the back not excessive force," Hong said online. "Police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can't be an option. My heart breaks for the trauma the Blake family and their community continues to endure."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Hong appeared to backtrack from the posts, but didn’t say whether as governor she would move to defund and abolish the police.

"There is no way I want to cut resources for public safety," Hong said. "I don’t like crime. I don’t like unsafe streets. I also don’t like when a member of law enforcement abuses their power."