The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, demands hate crime charges against the driver who reportedly ran down a peaceful protestor at a Columbia University Apartheid Divest Protest (CUAD) in Upper Manhattan yesterday. CAIR-NY also demands that the charges against two peaceful protestors, which includes the injured, be dropped.
Columbia University students had gathered in peaceful protest outside the home of a Board of Trustee on the Upper East Side on Monday, May 7th. Per eye-witnesses, Reuven Kahane allegedly drove up to the picketers, who attempted to give him a flyer. Kahane reportedly responded by grabbing the protestor’s arm. He then reportedly parked the car, only to circle the block and ram into the group of protestors as they were dispersing from the location. One protestor who was serving as a de-escalator was hit by the vehicle and needed hospitalization. The NYPD arrested Kahane and has charged him with second-degree assault. Additionally, the NYPD also arrested the injured protester and a second attendee.
SEE: Driver Charged After Allegedly Hitting Pro-Palestinian Protestor With Car
CAIR-NY’s Executive Director, Afaf Nasher, stated:
“Protesters peacefully opposing complicity in the genocide of Palestinians have been repeatedly harmed with violence. This latest incident of a driver reportedly crashing into protesters deliberately is reminiscent of the car attack in Charlottesville in the Unite the Right Rally back in 2017. He needs to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, including possible hate crime charges. The District Attorney should also drop the charges against the two protesters who have been victimized by this violence.
“It is not surprising to see individuals feeling enabled to carry out such a heinous act when it comes at the heel of state-sanctioned violence against protesters. When universities are willing to endanger their students with police raids and arrests, and elected officials use their pulpit to suppress American ideals of peaceful dissent against brutal foreign regimes, individual actors utilizing violence is an expected consequence.
“We call on this driver to be held accountable for his reported actions and for law enforcement authorities to uphold our right to protest without fear of retaliation. Our voices to end the genocide will not be silenced, and we will continue to fight for justice and equality.”
She noted that there has been an increased rate of violence towards peaceful Pro-Palestine protestors, in a nationwide trend.
SEE: UCLA Timeline From Peaceful Encampment to Violent Attacks Aftermath
SEE: Pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Georgia ends in more than a Dozen Arrests
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If you have experienced discrimination or violence during an arrest at a protest, please contact CAIR-NY by filling out an incident report on our website (LINK).
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Contact:
Afaf Nasher, Executive Director, CAIR-NY, ANasher@cair.com
Saira Amar, MPA, CAIR-NY Communications Coordinator, samar@cair.com