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Pride flags vandalized in Silver Spring community
After several Pride flags were burned in a Silver Spring community, Montgomery County police are investigating the situation as a hate crime. FOX 5's Homa Bash spoke to Montgomery County Council Evan Glass and his neighbors who had their flags vandalized.
SILVER SPRING, Md. - An empty flag pole outside their front door is where the Siddiqui family proudly hung their Pride flag for years.
Until someone, in the middle of the night Tuesday, set it on fire.
A photo shows how the vandal burned USSR right in the middle.
Photo via Siddiqui family
"Someone came up to our house and did this very gross, angry act," said Tracie Siddiqui. "My children were excited to celebrate Eid today. Then they came out and saw it, they were bawling."
Across the street, David Ryan's flag met the same fate. Nearly a dozen neighbors in the Park Hills neighborhood were targeted overnight.
"Someone had to come up and do this. It wasn't like this was down on the street," Ryan said. "[I'm] very angry, very saddened."
"I don't know how someone has that much hate," Siddiqui added. "I mean, why?"
Why? Is what is being asked by this entire Silver Spring community, Montgomery County Police, and local leaders.
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County Council President Evan Glass lives in this neighborhood with his husband. He told FOX 5 that they chose to live in the area specifically for how welcoming and diverse it is.
"We as a community are going to stand up and say hate has no home here and come together to make sure this doesn't happen here again," Glass said.
According to Montgomery County police, Pride and Ukrainian flags were burned in the Mansfield Road, Wayne Place, Ellsworth Place, Greenbrier Drive, Pershing Drive and Deerfield Avenue neighborhoods.
One of the crimes was caught on a doorbell camera and shared with FOX 5.
It shows a masked man running up to a home around 3 a.m., lighter in hand.
In a matter of seconds, he sets a Pride flag on fire right outside someone's door – smoke billowing in the air.
"People came here with hate in their heart to vandalize our community, and it's not acceptable," Glass added.
Montgomery County leaders expected to launch anti-hate task force
Montgomery County leaders are considering launching a new anti-hate task force.
And it comes exactly one day after County Council approved the creation of an Anti-Hate Task Force. The first meeting is on July 11 at the Wheaton Rec Center.
According to Glass, there were 157 bias incidents reported in Montgomery County last year - instances involving antisemitism, anti-immigrant, AAPI hate, Islamophobia, and anti-LGBTQ.
Park Hills Civic Association president Alan Bowser has lived in the area for 25 years.
"This is by far the most alarming incident we've had," Bowser said. "Very scary."
Bowser and neighbors said they are pleased with the support they have received from police and local leaders and hope to never see this type of incident again.
Residents are already showing their support by purchasing new Pride flags and setting them out on their lawns.
And for the Siddiqui family, the neighborhood response to this incident has turned hate into hope. On their front door now reads "Eid Mubarak" as they celebrate the Muslim holiday Wednesday, with a Pride flag underneath.
A way to show their three children, everyone is loved and everyone is welcome.
Investigators are asking for victims and/or homeowners with surveillance videos of possible suspects to call police. A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspects. Callers can remain anonymous.