Alexandria residents will rally in Del Ray on Friday (Oct. 30) against flyers and graffiti targeting the city’s immigrant community.
An “ad-hoc group of Alexandria residents” is organizing the Alexandrians Stand Together event, which starts at 5 p.m. at the entrance to the Mount Jefferson Park & Greenway at 301 Hume Avenue.
Police believe the graffiti appeared between 11 p.m. Friday (Oct. 23) and 6:30 a.m. Saturday (Oct. 24) at multiple locations on the park trail. The graffiti contained the words “ICE,” “REPORT TO DEPORT,” and the phone number “1-866-DHS-2-ICE.”
“We will hold signs expressing love for our neighbors, and we will hear from folks about the value of diversity in our community,” organizers said in a release. “We will have sidewalk chalk available for the creation of colorful, positive messages. We encourage participants to bring signs, wear their Halloween costumes if they wish, and share Halloween candy.”
The graffiti followed flyers posted on cars earlier this month, asking residents to report violations of undocumented immigrants voting in federal elections or illegally living in the U.S.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins said the flyers equated to voter intimidation and were reported to the Alexandria Police Department.
Anyone with information on these incidents can contact Detective Kay at 703-746-6263. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
