Antisemitic banner posted at Southwest Side repair shop, San Antonio officials say

Neighbors, District 5 staff confirmed banner was posted up at repair shop on Quintana Road

SAN ANTONIO – Community leaders are outraged after an antisemitic sign was posted up at a Southwest Side business, a trend seen in recent weeks across San Antonio.

The antisemitic banner making light of how Jewish people were killed in the Holocaust was posted at Budget Automotive Repair on Quintana Road.

“It’s actually a shock,” said one neighbor who didn’t want to be identified.

The sign is no longer there, but there are pictures of it all over social media. Neighbors also confirmed it was posted, and staff with the District 5 office confirmed they saw it.

“It makes me really upset -- then, disgusted. I think, ‘What the heck?’” the unidentified neighbor said. “Anybody putting out that stuff, it’s uncalled for.”

“It’s a really bad thing to do. It’s not good to make fun of people who were tortured,” said Nayeli Walle, another neighbor.

This is just the latest amid several antisemitic incidents in San Antonio these past few weeks.

Last week, residents on the North Side found antisemitic flyers on their driveways. Days after that, an antisemitic group holding antiJewish signs gathered across the street from the Jewish Community Center of San Antonio.

Local leaders are upset and say this kind of behavior is not accepted in our city.

District 5 councilwoman Teri Castillo issued the following statement:

“We are horrified by the antisemitic signage that appeared this week on a south side business. This hate speech has no place in our neighborhoods. Our office strives to cultivate a District in which all residents feel safe alongside their neighbors, and one in which all residents can contribute to a shared vision of justice and equity. This safety and this vision are incompatible with the message that appeared earlier this week.

“As we call attention to this hate speech, we feel it simultaneously necessary to extend a hand to our Jewish community members who may be struggling with recent instances of anti-Semitism in our city. We recognize that this hatred is inextricably tied to ideologies that not only attack Jewish people, but that ultimately make all of us feel less safe. There is no place for this in District 5, and we will always look to one another for mutual aid and protection.

“We know that communities are only as strong as the ties that we ourselves form, to defend each other and keep each other safe. When members of our community come under attack, these ties are put to a test. We must respond by vigorously affirming that hate has no place in our community. Our Jewish neighbors are a part of our movement for a better world, and we will stand beside them accordingly.”

KSAT attempted to contact the business in person and over the phone. We’re waiting to hear back.

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About the Authors:

Stephania Jimenez is an anchor on The Nightbeat. She began her journalism career in 2006, after graduating from Syracuse University. She's anchored at NBC Philadelphia, KRIS in Corpus Christi, NBC Connecticut and KTSM in El Paso. Although born and raised in Brooklyn, Stephania considers Texas home. Stephania is bilingual! She speaks Spanish.

Gavin Nesbitt is a photojournalist and video editor who joined KSAT in September 2021. He has traveled across the great state of Texas to film, conduct interviews and edit many major news stories, including the White Settlement church shooting, Hurricane Hanna, 2020 presidential campaigns, Texas border coverage and the Spurs.