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U.S. Congressmen Adam Schiff and Brad Sherman strongly condemn the appearance of Turkish flags at two Armenian private schools in Southern California as a hateful act of vandalism.

The flags were hanging at the Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles and the AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School in the Canoga Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

“Private Armenian schools in Southern California were vandalized today with Turkish flags. These schools are attended by many descendants of survivors of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire, and I stand with the Armenian community in condemning this act of hate.

Authorities are investigating the incident and I’m hopeful they will identify the suspects to prevent additional threats and intimidation,” Schiff said on Facebook.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Congressman Sherman calls on law enforcement to highly prioritize the arrest of the perpetrators.

“I have been informed that Turkish flags have been posted outside and inside of the Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School, and other Armenian schools and churches in Southern California.

I strongly condemn this hateful act of vandalism. It is particularly cruel to those whose family members died in the Armenian Genocide.

I call on law enforcement to make arresting the vandals a high priority.

These incidents may constitute a violation of federal hate-crimes statutes. See 18 U.S.C. Section 247.

Accordingly, I will urge the FBI to investigate this hate crime and federal prosecutors to prosecute to the full extent of the law,” reads the statement.

U.S. police are calling the display of the Turkish flags a ‘hate incident’. The Armenian community is outraged, both by these targeted acts against their schools and churches and law enforcement’s use of the word ‘incident’ instead of ‘crime.’