Toward the end of a day during which Jewish Community Centers across the country received a wave of bomb threats, the 720 Market Street offices of the Anti-Defamation League were evacuated late this afternoon when San Francisco police learned of a bomb threat directed at the branch of the anti-bigotry group. Per the group itself, "The Anti-Defamation League fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry in the US and abroad through information, education, legislation, and advocacy." The evacuation was called for at 4:30 p.m. and is ongoing, with Market Street locked down for several blocks near the 3rd Street intersection as the building undergoes a search.
#SFPD investigating bomb threat on 700 block of Market Street. Please avoid area until further notice.
— San Francisco Police (@SFPD) February 28, 2017
#BREAKING - #Bomb threat at #Anti-Defamation league in San Francisco , just spoke with police @sfpd - evacuating 720 Market Street pic.twitter.com/BqSzFy0oPi
— Jana Katsuyama (@JanaKTVU) February 28, 2017
#SF Anti Defamation League bomb threat prompts #Sfpd to shut down several blocks of Market st pic.twitter.com/gHEsnnoYLH
— Jonah Owen Lamb (@jonahowenlamb) February 28, 2017
#Sfpd TL station captain on #sf's Anti Defemation League bomb threat that shut down Market St. pic.twitter.com/7N3KuxogWq
— Jonah Owen Lamb (@jonahowenlamb) February 28, 2017
The ADL was founded in 1913 "to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike and to put an end forever to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens." Its San Francisco offices are the seat of its Central Pacific regional operations.
According to KTVU, of the 21 buildings under threat today, all have been cleared and no bombs have been found. Also today, more than 75 headstones in a Jewish Cemetery in Philadelphia were vandalized, as our sister site Gothamist reports. And, last week, the Anti-defamation League's Headquarters in Manhattan receivd a bomb threat, which was found not to be credible and is now the focus of an investigation by law enforcement.
Prompted by these events, President Trump, who has been celebrated by hate groups such as the KKK, addressed the recent rash of anti-Semitic threats for the first time this week, describing them as "horrible." Given today's events, many advocates are calling on the President for further denunciation.
The ADL has issued the following statement:
.@ADL_SF evacuated after #bombthreat. Today saw 20 incidents and a wave of #antiSemitic incidents nationwide: https://t.co/xu1tR7cWMM pic.twitter.com/lDEY2RLXJh
— ADL (@ADL_National) February 28, 2017
And, per the ADL's CEO:
.@ADL_SF office received bomb threat this aftn. That's #2 in 1 wk ag ADL, 90+ in past 2 mos attacking J community https://t.co/1eD2Ep23Tg pic.twitter.com/kSqUzXCXMG
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) February 28, 2017