Police release photo of suspect wanted in connection with ‘antisemetic’ NYC subway car chant
Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on June 20, 2024
(NEW YORK) — New York City police released a new wanted poster Wednesday as they continue to look for the man who yelled for “Zionists” riding on a southbound number 5 subway train last week to identify themselves.
The unidentified suspect is seen in a still photo made from surveillance footage. The man can be seen in the newly released image wearing a piece of cloth with a design resembling the Palestinian keffiyeh and the Palestinian flag’s colors draped on his shoulders.
The suspect, who is seen with dark sunglasses and a chin strap style beard, allegedly chanted on a subway train “Raise your hands if you’re a Zionist. Repeat after me; this is your chance to get out,” on June 10 as the train was held at the Union Square station in Manhattan. He is wanted on suspicion of attempted coercion, according to police.
Video of the incident went viral two days after the incident happened, with one rider filing a police complaint in response.
The NYPD is asking others who were aboard the subway car and felt threatened to come forward as well as anyone with information on the suspect.
A spokesperson for New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement, “New York City will always protect the right to free speech, but we will never allow our city to descend into lawlessness.
“Threatening New Yorkers based on their beliefs is not only vile, it’s illegal and will not be tolerated. Anyone with information about those responsible for this illegal conduct should contact the NYPD immediately,” the spokesman said.
The incident was part of numerous demonstrations related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza that led to vandalism in several New York City locations last week.
The homes of the Jewish director of the Brooklyn Museum and several of the museum’s board members were vandalized allegedly by protesters last week, the police previously said.
“We are deeply troubled by these horrible acts,” a spokesperson for the Brooklyn Museum said in a statement last week.
Another New York City protest tied to the war in Gaza prompted a large police response early June 12 and the closure of a block on the city’s Upper East Side, where the Palestinian Mission to the United Nations was vandalized and demonstrators littered the street with leaflets smeared with red paint and encouraging the intifada, according to police.
ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.
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