A New York City couple said they were attacked by a family chanting pro-Palestinian slogans at an elementary school graduation ceremony recently.
The New York Post published an exclusive interview with the couple, named Lana and John, on Saturday. Lana is Jewish and her husband is Dominican-American and practicing Catholic.
On June 14, before the attack, the couple watched their 10-year-old twins graduate from PS 682 in Gravesend, Brooklyn. Lana told the New York Post that the altercation began when she and her husband tried to take photos with their children in front of a school banner and were pushed aside by the family of a boy wearing a pro-Palestinian graduates hat.
“We told them there was room for both families,” Lana said. “An older man turned to us and said ‘Free Palestine!’ for no reason.
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The New York Police Department is investigating an incident in which a Jewish family was attacked by someone who shouted “Death to Israel!” (Google Maps/iStock)
“My husband told him this was not the time or place for this, but the man cursed him in Arabic and shouted: ‘Free Palestine, Gaza is ours, die to Israel.
Lana said she believed the family targeted her because she was Jewish. As her husband protected his wife and children, another man “appeared out of nowhere” and hit him on the head.
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“I don’t remember much from that time because a lot of things happened and a lot of people were on me,” John described. “Then I was choked. Someone grabbed my legs. It was chaos.”
Lana recalled that her 16-year-old son was also punched in the face when he tried to stop him. She was also knocked to the ground by a woman who threatened her life.
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The attack occurred at PS 682 in Gravesend, Brooklyn. (Google Maps)
“One of the women in the group came up from behind me, grabbed me by my hair, knocked me to the ground and shouted ‘I’m going to kill you’,” she said.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed part of the incident to Fox News Digital. Authorities said they arrested 26-year-old Ez-Al Dean Bazar and charged him with third-degree assault.
“[F]A man punched a 43-year-old man in the face and dragged him to the ground after a verbal argument, causing injuries to his head and arms, an NYPD spokesman said. , but the victim refused medical treatment.
“These incidents are being investigated by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force,” police added.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is actively investigating this incident. (Google Maps)
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Fox News reached out to the New York City Department of Education for a statement but did not receive a response.
