Huntington Greek Diner Vandalized over support for Hostages

By Mark Demetropoulos

A Greek-American owned diner in Huntington has been vandalized over the diner owner's support for release of the American and Israeli hostages taken last fall by the Islamist terrorist group Hamas.

Last October, Hamas sent 3,000 armed men out of Gaza into southern Israel to commit mass murder.  Over 1,200 civilians were killed, 100's of women were raped and mutilated, old women and babies were murdered, and over 230 people of all nationalities were seized as hostages and taken back to Gaza.

A local diner in Huntington - the Golden Globe Diner - showed their support for the return of the hostages, by posting photos of the hostages in the diner windows, and demanding their safe return.

Peter Tsadilas, the owner of the Golden Globe Diner, explained that he wanted to stand for the hostages' safe return, and against the bloodlust and barbarism of the Hamas attack.

Since then, Tsadilas and the Golden Globe have faced hostility from the food delivery service DoorDash and anonymous postings on social media - and a recent vandalism - with the diner's front windows smashed.

“We’re having kickback from the locals now," stated Tsadilas. "We get random phone calls from people telling us that we should pull it all down, that they don’t want to see this s--t every day,”

Then last month, the diner was vandalized.

It occurred at nighttime between July 18th and July 19th. A regular patron alerted the employees of the diner the next morning. The damage included broken windows where Tsadilas displace pictures of the missing hostages.

The remarkable thing was how the community responded positively to Tsadilas - and denounced the vandals - as the community rushed to support the Diner.

Two of the supporters were Peter Klein and Jaime Schaefer - who raised more than $12,000 through a “GoFundMe" to the repair the diner. 

"We really appreciate the overwhelming support," stated Tsadilas. "The flags and hostage posters will remain until all hostages are returned, and our diner plans to ‘stand strong’ in its stance.”

Tsadilas plans to use the funds raised by the generous community members to buy new windows and new tables for the diner, as well as an improved security system to protect the establishment from further criminal violence.