Anti-Hamas billboard on Route 80 in Bogota spurs over 100 calls to police before removal
A Route 80 billboard in Bogota critical of Hamas amid the militant group's ongoing war in Israel resulted in more than 100 calls to police before it was taken down by organizers, authorities said.
The message along the highway overpass Queen Anne Road in Bogota read "Oh, don't be naive. Hamas would chop your head off too," borough police Sgt. Geoffrey Cole confirmed to NorthJersey.com Wednesday. The billboard is reportedly the work of JewBelong, an organization dedicated to welcoming people to Judaism and fighting antisemitism.
"Think of us as the friendly, kinda funny kid from your geometry class who explained in simple language and without judgment only what you needed to know for the test," the group says on its website. "We provide straightforward explanations, readings and rituals to help warm your heart."
Bogota police received several initial calls for "reported threatening messages" on the billboard around 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, Cole said. Eventually, more than 100 people called the department to voice their displeasure about the sign.
"The majority of the complaints were people who felt threatened by the message, fears of violence ensuing and general emotional discomfort about the message, along with general outrage to whom the message was directed towards," Cole said.
Police have not issued any charges related to the billboard because there were no criminal violations, Cole said. The sign is private property, and the message, covered under freedom of speech laws, was placed there when JewBelong purchased the advertisement space.
The message has since been removed, but Bogota police and government officials "had nothing at all to do" with the removal, Cole said.
JewBelong did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday afternoon.
Bogota police addressed the billboard controversy on its Facebook page Tuesday night "in an attempt to dispel widespread resident and community displeasure and panic," Cole said. The post was made to let residents know the department was aware of the message and had not received reports of any threats in the area.
"Our police department works closely with county, state and federal agencies to ensure the safety of our community," the post stated. "There has been no threats to our community and we are investigating the matter to ensure all community members remain safe."
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On the morning of Oct. 7, Hamas attacked Israel by land, air and sea — killing more than 1,300 people, including 30 Americans, and kidnapping almost 200 hostages, some of them grandmothers, teenagers and young children.
The Israeli military called more than 300,000 reservists in response, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his country to brace for a long war after the most shocking infiltration of the Jewish state in a half-century.
The war that began Oct. 7 has become the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Wednesday that 3,478 Palestinians have been killed and more than 12,000 injured in the past 11 days.
More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, and at least 199 others, including children, were captured by Hamas and taken into Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.
This report contains material from the Associated Press.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Anti-Hamas billboard on Route 80 in Bogota NJ causes stir
