Boston ‘Mapping Project’ activist among three arrested for defacing Elbit building
previously terrorism mapping project
(March 1, 2023 / JNS)
The “Mapping Project” that launched last summer, identifying locations of Jewish and pro-Israel entities in Massachusetts, as well as law-enforcement sites, drew widespread condemnation, including for being “another example of old-fashioned Jew-hatred using a modern platform.”
A new report from the Zachor Legal Institute think tank suggests that Iran is connected to the project, which maps not only Jewish sites, but also 271 police stations, nine military bases and installations, in addition to Homeland Security, FBI and Secret Service offices and sites connected to weapons manufacturers with ties to the U.S. government.
Another 17 U.S. nongovernmental organizations have endorsed the report, according to a Zachor release.
The report “argues that the outsized focus placed on the American security apparatus indicates that the map is not domestic in origin, but might be a product of a foreign agenda and that the chief suspect is the Islamic Republic of Iran,” per the think tank.
Zachor added that Iranian state-run PressTV has praised the “Mapping Project,” which has collaborated with JISR Collective, which has ties to the Iranian government.
“There is no logical explanation for why the map was published other than to serve as a kill list for extremists to use when targeting United States’ national security infrastructure and prominent Jews in America,” stated Marc Greendorfer, president of Zachor.
“One only needs to look at the increasingly frequent violent attacks against law enforcement, homeland security and Jews in the United States to see that whoever is behind this project is trying to promulgate violence to promote an anti-American agenda,” he added. “We believe that this has all the hallmarks of Iranian terror.”
A new report from the Zachor Legal Institute indicates that the controversial map targets military bases and police stations, in addition to Jewish entities.
www.jns.org
(November 21, 2023 / JNS)
Calla Mairead Walsh, 19, who is part of the boycott Israel movement in Boston and the antisemitic “Mapping Project,” was among three activists arrested on Tuesday in Merrimack, N.H.
Walsh, 22-year-old Sophie Marika Ross and 27-year-old Bridget Irene Shergalis allegedly vandalized a building belonging to Israeli defense company Elbit Systems. They face riot, sabotage, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct charges.
After protesters, who had been blocking the road, dispersed and allowed police officers to pass, the officers found that anti-Israel activists had spray-painted the building red, smashed windows and put a lock on a door to the main lobby. Police arrested the three, who had gotten on the building roof, where smoke had been seen.
Police reportedly found an “incendiary device” on one of the suspects, which was the sort of apparatus that matched the smoke coming off the roof. The roof was also reportedly vandalized, with windows broken and damage to the ventilation system.
“The antisemitism, hate and significant damage brought to Elbit America’s campus yesterday has no place in New Hampshire and will not be tolerated,” wrote New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican. “I am confident law enforcement will work to bring those responsible for this vile act of hate to swift justice.”
“What happened at Elbit in Merrimack yesterday was an act of vandalism—not free speech. At a time of rising antisemitism in America, this must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” wrote Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). “I’m grateful to law enforcement for keeping Elbit employees safe.”
“Free speech and peaceful protest make our democracy stronger, but vandalism is a crime. I am grateful for law enforcement’s quick response,” wrote Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.). Reps. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Ann McLane Kuster wrote similar things.
The New York Sun identified the 27-year-old Shergalis as the child Disney star.
Walsh and Ross were also among nine who were arrested on Oct. 30 while protesting Elbit, this time in Cambridge, Mass. The two were charged with vandalizing property and disorderly conduct.
The Mapping Project, in which Walsh is involved, identified Jewish institutions in Boston by name and address. It has been linked to Iran.
She was previously profiled on NPR and in The New York Times for her progressive activism, including on a digital campaign to elect Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), as well as work for Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and the presidential campaigns of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-V.t.), per the Daily Caller.
“The antisemitism, hate and significant damage brought to Elbit America’s campus has no place in New Hampshire,” stated New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu.
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