The family of a Filipino American man is clearing the air after his personalized Tesla license plate, which read “LOLOCT7,” appeared as if he was mocking the Oct. 7 attacks.
A watchdog organization, StopAntisemitism, shared a viral picture of the license plate on X, accusing the owner of celebrating the attacks.
“LOL” is an abbreviation commonly used online for “laugh out loud,” followed by “OCT7” on the plate.
But the Filipino American’s son anonymously told ABC7 in Los Angeles that the license plate is supposed to be read as “LOLO,” which means grandpa in Tagalog.
The “CT” stands for Cybertruck, the car’s model.
The number 7 represents the number of grandchildren the owner has.
According to the son, the owner explained the license plate’s meaning when applying at the DMV, who has since issued an apology of its own.
A DMV spokesperson said the department will recall the plates and strengthen its review process to avoid another oversight, The Mercury News reported.
“The use of hateful language is not only a clear violation of our policies but also a violation of our core values to proudly serve the public and ensure safe and welcoming roadways,” the spokesperson said.
The Tesla owner and his family are in the process of replacing the license plates and have clarified they meant no harm.
“We have great empathy for anyone who has experienced any hatred,” the son said to ABC7. “And we would really appreciate, in turn, for anyone that’s seeing this or hearing this to have any empathy toward our family because we had no ill intent for anything.”
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