California DMV Issues Apology Over Offensive License Plate | EUROtoday

The California Department of Motor Vehicles apologized for issuing a license plate that some interpreted as mocking Hamas’ assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 — although the household of the automotive’s proprietor says it was misinterpreted.

The plate, which reads “LOLOCT7,” went viral final week after watchdog group CeaseAntisemitism posted a photograph of the plate on social media.

The group, based in 2018, says its goal is to reveal incidents of anger and hatred directed at Jewish individuals. It has additionally performed a outstanding function in publicizing people who’ve supported Palestinians or critiqued Israel’s actions throughout the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The license plate was discovered on a Tesla Cybertruck on the intersection of Jefferson and Sepulveda Boulevards in Culver City, the group stated. “LOL” is a typical acronym for “laugh out loud.”

“How did this get processed?” a follow-up submit learn. The group referred to as on the DMV to recall the plates.

The company apologized on Thursday and referred to as the state of affairs “unacceptable and disturbing” in an announcement on X. It additionally vowed to instantly strengthen the inner assessment course of to make sure “such an egregious oversight never happens again.”

The son of the Cybertruck’s proprietor informed Los Angeles TV station KTLA that the plate was being misinterpreted, and stated that “Lolo” means “grandfather” in Tagalog, whereas “CT” is brief for Cybertruck.

As for the 7? The son stated the proprietor has seven youngsters.

“Regardless of the owner’s intended meaning, the fact remains that this plate evokes antisemitic associations,” CeaseAntisemitism government director Liora Rez stated in an announcement.

The son of the proprietor informed KTLA that the household would change the plates since they didn’t imply to offend anybody.

The DMV has acknowledged the misinterpretation of the plates, however stated they may nonetheless be recalled.

“While the plate’s owner has shared that … the configuration was intended to honor their Filipino heritage, we recognize that the same combination of letters and numbers has been interpreted by others as offensive, particularly within the Jewish community,” the division stated in an announcement.

The DMV added that it understands that “language and symbols can hold different meanings across cultures and communities and “what may be a term of endearment in one context can be perceived differently in another.”