Orthodox Jewish demonstrators torch face masks, stop traffic and assault reporters as they return to Brooklyn streets to protest COVID-19 restrictions - despite uptick in cases in their neighborhoods
Irate Orthodox Jewish demonstrators stopped traffic, torched face masks and assaulted a reporter as they continued protests against coronavirus restrictions on Brooklyn streets Wednesday.
Borough Park experienced scenes of chaos for a second night as video footage showed members of the community heckling the reporter and shoving him against a wall, blasting him as a 'Nazi' and 'Hitler'.
The demonstrations began with a Trump rally attended by about 50 people before the crowd swelled to more than 500 protesting against the shutdowns that are to begin in the neighborhood from Thursday due to its high rates of positive testing for COVID-19.
'Here in Borough Park, we don't go by the laws of America,' one demonstrator shouted, the New York Daily News reports. 'We have our own laws.'
The protest turned ugly when the crowd rounded on veteran Jewish Insider reporter Jacob Kornbluh, who had to receive a police escort from the area after being swarmed by a group of angry, young men, egged on by Brooklyn City Council candidate, Harold 'Heshy' Tischler.
It came a day after the crowds forced a photographer to retreat and made police report to the scene as a scuffle broke out involving a television reporter reporting from the scene.
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The protest turned ugly when the crowd rounded on veteran Jewish Insider reporter Jacob Kornbluh, pictured
Groups of Orthodox Jewish protesters gather in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Borough Park on Wednesday night to denounce lockdowns of their neighborhood that begin Thursday due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in the area
Around 500 people gathered but the NYPD made no arrests and issued no citations
Harold 'Heshy' Tischler spoke to the crowd and said he was mounting an 'army' against the restrictions
The crowd cheered as they protested against the lockdowns targeting religious institutions
'I was just brutally assaulted, hit in the head, and kicked at by an angry crowd of hundreds of community members of the Boro Park protest — while yelling at me "Nazi" and "Hitler" —after Heshy Tischler recognized me and ordered the crowd to chase me down the street,' Kornbluh said in a late night tweet.
'I was saved by heroic police officers and several community members. I'm safe right now.
'I want to thank the people who got in harm's way — and might have gotten injured — to protect me. I am filing charges against Heshy Tischler for incitement and physical assault and will seek charges against any individual who hit me,' he added.
'They all ambushed me,' Kornbluh later told Gothamist. 'They attacked me because I'm a reporter.'
Video shows Tischler yelling in Kornbluh's face: 'You are moyser . Everybody scream "Moyser!"'
'He's lucky time be alive,' one protester told Gothamist as Kornbluh was escorted away.
Yet Tischler denied that he was involved Thursday morning and claimed that Kornbluch was lying about being attacked, posting the last section of the video showing the journalist being walked away by cops.
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Jacob Kornbluh said that he was attacked by 100s, allegedly egged on by Brooklyn City Council candidate, Heshy Tischler
Harold Tischler gathers with members of the Orthodox Jewish community who support President Trump during a protest over new coronavirus restrictions in the area on Wednesday night. The activist organized the second night of protests
Orthodox Jews gather in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn amid protests over new coronavirus restrictions
A NYPD officer speaks with Orthodox Jews as they gather in the Borough Park in Brooklyn on Wednesday night
'Last night in middle of the legal celebration Mr. Kornbluh showed up. He came to look for trouble, and to his shock he didn't get it, it didn't keep him back to tweet a probably drafted tweet that was ready. He claims he was 'brutally assaulted' by hundreds,' he wrote on Twitter.
'What happened is simple, when Mr Kornbluh was recognized by the crowd last night he was rightfully called out for being a Muser (Which he agrees he is). There was no violence. There was screaming. Seeing the commotion the police decided to escort him out. Nobody got hurt.
'But Kornbluh did what Muser Kornbluh does best, tweeted that he was "Brutally Assaulted" by "hundreds of community members" which is of course a lie. But Kornbluh does everything for attention. His smearing campaign worked & he got dozens of politicians to condemn our community,' Tischler added.
He also claimed to the Daily News that he had not witnessed the attack, even though he is seen in the videos.
'I didn't do nothing. I told him not to come to our parties. He's a pig,' Tischler said.
Despite his claims, the attack on Kornbluh was condemned by city officials who branded it a 'vile act'.
'The attack on @jacobkornbluh last night was horrifying and reprehensible. All those involved in this vile act must be held accountable,' wrote City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.
Jewish Insider reporter Jacob Kornbluh said that he had been assaulted during the protest on Wednesday night
He added that he plans to file charges against Brooklyn City Council candidate Heshy Tischler for inciting the violence
Tischler denies that he was involved in the attack even though he is seen in video footage of the incident
The attack on the journalist was condemned by NYC City Council Speaker Corey Johnson
Tischler is a vocal opponent to the shutdowns and last week interrupted a press conference held by city officials to raise awareness of coronavirus in the community claiming that the local government is lying to the community.
The activist was given a hero's welcome as he arrived at the protest on Wednesday night and spoke to the press about how Kornbluh and another Jewish journalist, Berish Getz, were liars.
Earlier in the day, he had taken to Twitter to hold up a picture of Kornbluch and say: 'You know where rats belong. Jacob Kornbluh is a rat.'
This was before Kornbluh was attacked but after an assault on Getz, 34, during protests the previous night.
On Tuesday, a crowd hurled bottles and rocks at Getz as he filmed video from a lamppost. He wound up needing to be carried out on a stretcher.
'Good news,' tweeted Mordy Getz, the victim's brother. 'My brother is now conscious and went thru scans to see what injuries his body got from the attack ... We want full investigation and prosecution. Machers already trying to shut the story.'
Police officers stand guard as more demonstrators arrive on the streets of Borough Park
The crowd caused traffic to come to a halt as they took to the street and shouted 'Jewish Lives Matter'
Young members of the Hasidic community gather for the demonstrations
Earlier on Tuesday, crowds had also rounded on freelance photographer Bruce Schaff, who is Jewish.
'I was terrified, even the people trying to help me were telling me to turn my camera off, and seemed like they might attack me once I did,' Bruce Schaff told The New York Post Wednesday.
'Out of all the protests I've been to I've never seen this level of violence from protesters toward members of the press, photographers, or anyone for that matter.
'Once I was on the train and the adrenaline rush passed, I started crying.'
The protesters returned Wednesday as they angrily insisted that the recent health restrictions were religiously motivated, stopping traffic as they took to the streets.
Local Hasidic lawmakers have accused Governor Andrew Cuomo of singling out the Jewish community by limiting capacity in houses of worship to only ten people in the most restrictive 'red' zones that are mainly in majority Orthodox neighborhoods.
Agudath Israel of America, an international religious group, has suggested they may filed a lawsuit against the restrictions.
Demonstrators started a bonfire with protective masks, forcing an FDNY truck to retreat as firefighters feared for their lives.
Video also showed protesters chasing off NYC Sheriff's deputies, shouting 'Jewish Lives Matter' as they followed.
Many on the crowds were not wearing masks or social distancing.
Jacob Kornbluh is chased away and accused of being a snitch as members of the community taunt him
A family watches as groups of protesters gather in Borough Park
Borough Park has seen an uptick in COVID-19 infections, with more than 8% of tests coming back positive
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'The real reason, what's going on, is that this is Trump country,' said Heshy Fried. The 57-year-old sported a 'Trump 2020' face covering Wednesday morning.
He added: 'All the areas they are trying to close down ... are like 90% voting for Trump. It's political and everybody knows it.'
The crowds were rallied by Tischler, who hit out at NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio for the new restrictions and claimed he was creating an 'army' to fight against them.
'I'm going to take these children, these soldiers, these future leaders. These are my people. We're going to create an army. We are at war with you, Mr. de Blasio. Here is my army,' he told the crowd.
They chanted Tischler's name as they waved 'Trump 2020' and 'Thing Blue Line' flags.
'We are at war! 'You are my soldiers!' he added, continuing with his claims that Democrats are misleading the public about the coronavirus for political gain.
Gothamist reported that he has allegedly been harassing Test & Trace Corp volunteers — primarily people of color — at testing sites throughout the neighborhood.
Many of the crowd had 'Trump 2020' flags and signs and said they would not be following the new restrictions
The protest began with a Trump rally of 50 people but grew to 500 people later in the night
The NYPD were on the scene but the demonstration was not broken up
Another organizer said that the protest was trying to call out the hypocrisy which he says allows Black Lives Matter demonstrations to continue.
'The hypocrisy that's going on here. People can go rioting, looting, but they're singling out our community when people want to go to our houses of worship. That's wrong,' said Sammy Gross, 46.
President Donald Trump has also weighed in on the restrictions and subsequent protests.
He retweeted actor James Woods who had said: '"Rounding up the Jews" is an optic that I would never have expected to see in my American lifetime.'
No arrests were made on either night of the demonstrations.
'No way we were breaking that up,' the Gothamist reported an officer with the Community Affairs Unit as saying.
Borough Park has seen an uptick in COVID-19 infections, with more than eight percent on tests in the large zip code coming back positive, compared to a 1.7 percent average nationwide.
New restrictions in the city start on Thursday that see nine zip codes hit with clampdowns that target schools, non-essential businesses and religious institutions.
A police escort is seen bringing away journalist Jacob Kornbluh as the crowd surrounds him
Many in the crowds were seen without masks and not social distancing despite the ongoing pandemic
Gov. Cuomo has placed the blame for the uptick with de Blasio and the NYPD, who he says have failed to properly enforce social distancing guidelines.
The Mayor's Office has revealed that it has not issued a single summonses for failure to wear a mask.
On Wednesday, cops had promised the crowds that they'd be largely left alone during the demonstrations.
'These are my friends, they'll listen to me,' said Deputy Chief Charles Scholl.
Tischler also thanked the officers as he shouted 'Blue Lives Matter'.
Mayor de Blasio has called on the community to tone down any future protests.
'The NYPD will not tolerate people doing harm to others,' he said. 'There will be no tolerance for assaults, for damage to property, for setting fires.'
On Wednesday, hundreds of Jewish leaders had issued a statement supporting the city and state's efforts to battle the spread of coronavirus.
'We support the governor's and mayor's efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19 by using a data-driven, geographically based approach,' said the New York Jewish Agenda president Matt Nosanchuk.
'Today, more than 300 Rabbis and other Jewish religious leaders came together to make clear there is no higher Jewish value than saving a human life.'
