The San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigation Division is investigating whether a vandalism incident at the French American International School in San Francisco amounts to hate crime.
Police believe the incident occurred overnight. "The vandalism is in the form of graffiti spray painted on a wall and playground surface," an SFPD spokesperson said.
An NBC Bay Area photographer snapped a shot of what appears to be a crescent and an eight-point star over the number seven spray-painted on a green background. The graffiti resembles the symbol of the "Five-Percent Nation," a group formed by Clarence Smith in Harlem, New York in 1963 after he split with the Nation of Islam. Smith was a student of Malcolm X. Hip-hop star Jay Z created some controversy last year after he was seen wearing a Five Percent Nation medallion at a game.
As NPR explains in their article about the history of the Five Percent, the group's founding notion is: "Ten percent of the people of the world know the truth of existence, and those elites opt to keep 85 percent of the world in ignorance and under their controlling thumb."
The crescent moon and star is an internationally-recognized symbol of Islam. National flags including green as a symbol of Islam include those of United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
The French-American school, located at 150 Oak Street in San Francisco, is an independent Pre-K through 12th grade co-ed day school with a bilingual immersion program.
"I don't know what the message is, but we are investigating a vandalism," SFPD spokesperson Officer Albie Esparza said.
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Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call the Anonymous Tip Line at (415) 575-4444 or Text A Tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.
#SFPD Investigate Graffiti, Possible #HateCrime at San Francisco School: https://t.co/WbeqDuwAs7 Tip: 415-575-4444 — San Francisco Police (@SFPD) November 17, 2015
