Online petition seeks swastika’s removal
An online petition calling on an El Sobrante man to remove a giant concrete swastika from his front lawn has gathered more than 3,000 signatures, but the homeowner sounded unmoved Wednesday.
The petition was posted Monday on the Care2 website by a group calling itself “Not in Our Town El Sobrante.” As of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the petition had digital signatures from 3,207 supporters.
The petition’s goal is to persuade Steve Johnson, a 67-year-old retired welder, to rip out a swastika he put in his front yard as part of a driveway he said he is building. Johnson told The Chronicle he understood the historical significance of the Nazi symbol, but he decided to install it anyway because he liked the design.
The petition’s author — identified as Sarah Dunham by a Care2 spokeswoman — did not, and she notes that the swastika has become an international symbol of hatred.
“The presence of a swastika in our community makes many people feel unsafe to live in a community that tolerates visible expressions of hate and bigotry,” the petition reads. “Therefore, we are calling on this person to remove the swastika.”
Dunham could not be immediately reached for comment.
The petition points out that the El Sobrante community has banded together in the past to combat racism, and it notes that many residents and businesses have “Not in Our Town” and other anti-racism signs in their windows.
El Sobrante is not a city, but rather a community that includes parts of Richmond and San Pablo and unincorporated land governed by Contra Costa County. The most recent population count was 12,269 residents, according to the 2010 census. Johnson lives in the unincorporated part that’s a mix of country and 1950s suburbia housing a diverse populace.
Not in Our Town El Sobrante posted a message on its Facebook page announcing it has scheduled a rally against the swastika on June 20 at the corner of San Pablo Dam Road and Appian Way.
Johnson, reached by phone, said he hadn’t seen the petition, but he didn’t sound impressed.
“It sure is funny that all those people signing the petition don’t even live in this neighborhood,” he said.
Care2’s website notes that less than a third of the people who have signed the petition live in California.
Since news stories about the swastika appeared, Johnson’s car and two pickup trucks have been egged, he said. He suspects neighbors. The answering machine on his phone has been filled with insults and threats, he added, and lots of people have driven past and taken photographs.
Johnson covered the swastika with “blankets and stuff to calm things down,” but he hasn’t removed the offending symbol — though he held out the possibility.
“I haven’t decided what I’m going to do,” Johnson said. “There’s been a lot more (reaction) than I expected. Everybody’s on my butt about this.”