Downtown coffee shop vandalized 3 times, MP alleges antisemitism

A java store successful downtown Toronto has been vandalized 3 times successful the past year, including doubly successful 1 week, and a section MP is blaming antisemitism.

Cafe manager Wali Ullah said the attacks connected Goldstruck Coffee connected Richmond Street W. are taking a toll.

Last May, the java store was breached into and valuables were stolen. Then, on March 16, its beforehand model was smashed and valuables were taken. Days later, connected March 23, its beforehand solid doorway was shattered. 

"It's frustrating for us, for the team, for our community, for the customers. Overall, it's heartbreaking. The owners are going done a lot," Ullah said.

Ullah said determination are repair costs and nary gross connected the days that repairs are underway.

"Why us? Why tiny concern owners oregon tiny concern employees? We travel each time to work. If you adjacent down immoderate place, if the owners, they cannot survive, if they adjacent down immoderate business, truthful each of us, each the assemblage volition beryllium suffering, volition person nary job. It's not a bully thing. It's not a benignant thing."

Ullah said the incidents could beryllium considered hatred crimes, though did not elaborate connected why.

On Instagram, the owners say: "They whitethorn person shattered the solid but not our energy, our team, oregon our emotion for what we do. We'll hole the solid (again), cleanable up (again), and unfastened the doors (again). Because nary substance what, you can't interruption Goldstruck."

Police not presently investigating cases arsenic hatred crimes

Toronto Police said they are investigating 2 incidents astatine Goldstruck Coffee's Richmond Street W. location: a interruption and participate connected March 16 and mischief connected March 23.

"Both are presently nether investigation, and determination have been nary arrests astatine this time," constabulary spokesperson Ashley Visser said successful an email.

Visser said constabulary are not presently investigating the 2 cases of vandalism arsenic hatred crimes but that could alteration astatine immoderate constituent successful the investigation.

MP Kevin Vuong, who represents Spadina-Fort York, drew attraction to the attacks successful a station connected X connected Tuesday, alleging the incidents were motivated by antisemitism and that the vandals targeted Goldstruck's owners.

"As promised, I'm arrogant to beryllium present successful enactment of this unthinkable Jewish and family-owned Toronto tiny business!" Vuong said.

Local assemblage showing support, cafe manager says

Ullah, meanwhile, said successful an interrogation connected Tuesday that some incidents successful March were captured connected information camera video. He said employees showed up past Sunday to find the solid beforehand doorway shattered. 

"After we checked the footage, we saw determination was conscionable a random guy, stalled successful beforehand of the doorway for astir 20 seconds oregon something, and took retired thing from retired of his pouch and conscionable smashed the doorway and left," helium said.

The java store has posted the video of the latest vandalism connected Instagram.

A week earlier the astir recent incident, different idiosyncratic was caught connected video breaking the beforehand model and utilizing an umbrella to propulsion past the shards. The idiosyncratic is seen moving done the java store and grabbing a currency container earlier leaving. 

Ullah said the section assemblage has been speedy to respond, with galore regular customers making donations to assistance screen the outgo of repairs. 

Goldstruck Coffee runs 2 locations downtown, including 1 successful Yorkville. Ullah said a third, arsenic yet unopened, determination was spray painted with a Star of David awesome past month.