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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 23 February 2017
Support pours in for damaged Jewish cemetery near St. Louis
JIM SALTER Police said there is no evi-
Associated Press dence of a hate crime, but
UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. (AP) haven’t ruled out the pos-
— A suburban St. Louis sibility.
Jewish cemetery badly Vice President Mike Pence,
damaged by vandals is speaking to small busi-
getting a show of support ness owners at a business
from cleanup volunteers, Wednesday in the St. Louis
well-wishers and financial suburb of Fenton, Missouri,
contributors from across condemned “this vile act
many faiths. of vandalism and those
Muslim groups have who perpetrate it in the
launched a crowdfunding strongest possible terms.”
campaign for the Chesed But he lauded people from
Shel Emeth Society cem- across Missouri who have
etery in University City, Mis- “rallied with compassion
souri, with a goal of $20,000. and support.”
It has raised nearly $75,000. “You have inspired this
The cemetery posted on nation,” Pence said, not
Facebook that 154 head- long before making unan-
nounced visit to the cem-
stones were vandalized etery. With Greitens by his
in the damage discov- side, Pence told volunteers,
ered Monday. Many were Vice President Mike Pence talks to the assembled crowd at the Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery in many of them clutching
University City, Mo., on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017, about the damage done over the weekend
tipped over. Gov. Eric when more than 150 headstones were overturned by vandals. With the Vice President is Anita yard rakes they used to
Greitens, who is Jewish, Feigenbaum, Executive Director of the cemetery, Alan Simon, President of the cemetery board, beautify the graveyard,
organized a volunteer ef- and Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, right. that “there’s no place in
fort to help in the cleanup (J.B. Forbes /St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) America for hatred or acts
Wednesday, and an inter- of prejudice or violence or
faith service was planned anti-Semitism.”
for the afternoon. A large “I must tell you the people
crowd attended a candle- in Missouri are inspiring the
light vigil at the cemetery nation by your love and
Tuesday night. care for this place, for the
Investigators have been Jewish community in Mis-
reviewing surveillance vid- souri,” he told the crowd,
eo to determine who was using a bullhorn. “And I
responsible. The Anti-Defa- want to thank you for that
mation League offered a inspiration, for showing the
$10,000 reward for the van- world what America is all
dals’ arrest and conviction. about.”q
Trump administration says lifting
transgender bathroom guidance
MARIA DANILOVA gender identity and not just
SADIE GURMAN their biological sex.
Associated Press White House spokesman
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Sean Spicer said Wednes-
Trump administration is re- day the current directive,
voking U.S. transgender issued last August, is confus-
guidelines, stepping into ing and hard to implement.
an emotional national is- An official with knowledge
sue and stripping students of the plans told The As-
of federal protections sociated Press that anti-
to use bathrooms and lock- bullying safeguards would
er rooms matching gender not be affected by the
identities that differ from change.
their birth certificates. That official was not au-
The administration is com- thorized to speak publicly
ing down on the side of about the plans and did so
states’ rights, revoking fed- on condition of anonymity.
eral guidelines that had Spicer did not say when the
been issued by the Obama Trump administration ac-
administration. Without the tion might actually come.
Obama directive, it will be A federal judge in Texas put
up to states and school a temporary hold on the
districts to interpret fed- Obama guidance soon af-
eral anti-discrimination law ter it was issued — after 13
and determine whether states sued.
students should have ac- Even without that hold, the
cess to restrooms in accor- guidance carried no force
dance with their expressed of law. q
