Divisive Boyle Heights Coffee Shop Weird Wave Has Front Door Smashed In Overnight

It seems the trouble is far from over for Weird Wave Coffee in Boyle Heights, as the besieged new shop had their glass front door shattered in early this morning. The attack happened before the space was set to open at 6 a.m., and so far the assailants remain unknown.

LA Times staff photographer Irfan Khan was the first to report on the incident, speaking to owner John Schwarz as he was still cleaning up the mess. When I arrived here this morning at 6:05 a.m., the whole door was shattered,” Schwarz says, saying it seemed someone had thrown a rock through their logo at some point in the night. The full video is below.

The escalation to property damage is just the latest in what has become an increasingly bitter campaign against changing property values and demographics in Boyle Heights, the traditionally Latino neighborhood east of Downtown. As reported earlier today, arguments on both sides have left locals feeling conflicted about not only Weird Wave, but other shops and spaces across the area, with protesters urging some customers to let these businesses die, and other locals crossing lines to keep them afloat.

• LA Times Asks Why Boyle Heights Coffee Protesters Don’t Also Boycott Starbucks [ELA]