City Hall wants help finding anti-Israel protester who told ‘Zionists’ to ID themselves on NYC subway: ‘Vile and illegal’
Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday denounced the “vile” and “illegal” threats by an anti-Israel goon who terrorized straphangers on a Manhattan subway train by demanding that “Zionists” identify themselves and then warning “This is your chance to get out.”
The NYPD was expected to put out an alert asking New Yorkers to help track down the protester and his pals who leveled the threats after a rowdy antisemitic demonstration at Union Square Park on Monday — where another demonstrator yelled that he wished “Hitler was still here.”
City officials said it all went too far.
“Mayor Adams has been clear: New York City will always protect the right to free speech, but we will never allow our city to descend into lawlessness,” City Hall spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak told The Post.
“Threatening New Yorkers based on their beliefs is not only vile, it’s illegal and will not be tolerated,” Mamelak said. “Anyone with information about those responsible for this illegal conduct should contact the NYPD immediately.”
Police could charge the suspects with coercion, which would be punishable by up to one year behind bars as a misdemeanor, City Hall said.
The subway encounter came as keffiyeh-clad protesters retreated into the underground.
“Repeat after me,” one man yelled at stunned straphangers. “Raise your hand if you’re a Zionist.”
Other protesters repeated the threat, with the man adding: “This is your chance to get out.”
A video clip of the incident shows that no one appeared to have raised their hand.
“Okay,” the demonstrator said. “No Zionists. We’re good.”
The incident is just the latest example of antisemitic outbursts in the five boroughs since the Oct. 7 sneak attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, which sparked an attack in the Gaza Strip by the Jewish State.
According to City Hall, there have been more than 2,850 arrests at anti-Israeli protests throughout the Big Apple since Oct. 8, including widespread encampments at college campuses in the city.
