Video footage that circulated on social media on the evening of Sept. 17 showed a Chasidic man being assaulted in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, NY on Sept. 15, CBS New York reports.
The Shomrin Williamsburg Safety Patrol footage shows four men approaching the victim, 24. Two of the men can be seen cornering the victims, where they reportedly demanded that the victim hand over all of his belongings. The two men can then be seen punching and kicking the victim; the victim then runs away and the four men follow him.
SHOCKING VIDEO: A Hasidic Jew gets assaulted and attacked in the head in Brooklyn on Warsoff Place between Flushing x Park avenues, anyone with info please call @WspuShomrim 7182370202 or @NYPD79Pct (added another angle) pic.twitter.com/gbxj2rpfML
— WILLIAMSBURG NEWS (@WMSBG) September 18, 2019
Photos of the suspects were released:
Photo of the gangsters in tonights assault on Warsoff pl, if seen please call 911 @NYPD79Pct or @WspuShomrim 7182370202 pic.twitter.com/Jir4uOmQry
— WILLIAMSBURG NEWS (@WMSBG) September 18, 2019
The NYPD are currently saying that the Sept. 15 assault is not a hate crime since the assailants didn’t promulgate any anti-Jewish language. The Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) New York and New Jersey regional chapter is offering a maximum reward of $10,000 for anyone with information about the assailants.
“The video footage of this violent encounter is incredibly disturbing, and we are glad that the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is assisting in the investigation of this horrific crime,” ADL New York and New Jersey Regional Director Evan Bernstein said in a statement. “This incident comes at a time when visibly observant Jewish individuals are unable to walk the streets of Brooklyn without feeling fearful that they may be assaulted or attacked because of their religion or faith. This is completely unacceptable and contrary to everything we stand for as New Yorkers.”
At the end of August, two Chasidic men were attacked with stones in the span of less than a week. One of the victims, 63-year-old Rabbi Avraham Gopin, told CBS New York that the assailant said “Jew, Jew” as he was attacking him. A 26-year-old man was arrested on Sept. 12 as the alleged assailant.
The American Jewish Committee released a video on Sept. 3 highlighting the issue of rising anti-Semitic assaults in New York.
Jews are being ambushed, attacked, stabbed, kicked, choked, and bludgeoned in the streets of a major global city.
That city is New York.
If you're as outraged as we are, share this video and demand that authorities take action.pic.twitter.com/C9XHF3VlpB
— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) September 3, 2019
The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted, “Failure of @NYCMayor to take active role against insidious #Antisemitic violence deeply troubling. #NYPD can only do so much.”
Failure of @NYCMayor to take active role against insidious #Antisemitic violence deeply troubling. #NYPD can only do so much.https://t.co/5sP4e9bsWp
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) September 18, 2019
Former Democratic New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind urged people to attend a Sept. 22 rally at New York’s City Hall Park to demand the city take more action in protecting Jewish residents.
BREAKING: Hasidic man violently attacked by four thugs in Williamsburg.
Is it open season on Jews in NYC?!
This cannot go on! We will not tolerate this!
New Yorkers must show up this Sunday at City Hall Park to demand a proper response to this scourge of antisemitism! https://t.co/g6UGnMX23n pic.twitter.com/ANCvlNViJN
— Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) September 18, 2019
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