Overview
- Early Wednesday, Sept. 16, The Moka Pot in downtown Manchester had several windows broken and was spray-painted with swastikas and the phrase “white power,” a crime Manchester police call a suspected hate crime.
- On Thursday police released images of a masked person seen near the shop between midnight and 4 a.m. and asked anyone with information to contact Manchester police at 603-668-8711.
- The New Hampshire Department of Justice Civil Rights Unit has been notified and will work with Manchester detectives on any civil-rights or hate-motivated charges.
- Owners say the hateful message was painted over, the shop remained open and community members rallied in support while proprietors vowed to keep the space accessible to all.
- Officials point to a 2023 Portsmouth vandalism spree and a 2025 guilty plea in that case as precedent for pursuing civil-rights enforcement and possible penalties if suspects are identified.