A New York City couple says they were recently attacked by a family shouting pro-Palestinian slogans at an elementary school graduation.
The New York Post published an exclusive interview with the couple, called Lana and Johan, on Saturday. Lana is Jewish, while her husband is Dominican-American and practices Catholicism.
The couple watched their 10-year-old twins graduate from PS 682 in Gravesend, Brooklyn, on June 14 before the assault occurred. 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, when the family of a boy wearing a pro-Palestinian graduate cap pushed them into a side.
“We told them there was room for both families,” Lana said. “An older man turned to us and said 'Free Palestine!' without reason.”
CHICAGO WOMAN BOOKED FOR VANDALISM OF BUILDINGS WITH ANTI-SEMITE GRAFFITI
The New York police are investigating an incident in which a Jewish family was attacked by people shouting “Death to Israel!” (Google Maps / iStock)
“My husband told him that this was not the time or place for that, but the man cursed him in Arabic and shouted: 'Free Palestine, Gaza is ours, death to Israel.'
Lana said she believes the family attacked her because she is Jewish. When her husband defended his wife and her children, another man “came out of nowhere” and punched him in the head.
Video obtained by the New York Post shows adults crowded around people fighting on the ground outside the elementary school.
“From then on, I don't remember, because so many things happened and there were so many people on top of me,” Johan described. “Then they strangled me. Someone was holding my leg. It was chaotic.”
Lana said that when her 16-year-old son tried to intervene, he was also punched in the face. She was also thrown to the ground by a woman who threatened her life.
MUSEUM CLOSES AGAINST PREJUDICE EXHIBITION AFTER EMPLOYEES LEAVE ISRAEL
The assault incident took place at PS 682 in Gravesend, Brooklyn. (Google Maps)
“A woman in the group came up behind me, pulled my hair and threw me to the ground screaming, 'I'll kill you,'” she said.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed part of the incident to Fox News Digital. Authorities say they arrested Ez-Al Dean Bazar, 26, and charged him with third-degree assault.
“[F]”After a verbal dispute, an individual punched a 43-year-old man in the face and dragged him to the ground, causing injuries to his head and arm,” the NYPD spokesperson said. “EMS responded and the victim refused medical attention.”
“The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the incidents,” the police added.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is actively investigating the incident. (Google Maps)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News reached out to the New York City Department of Education for a statement but did not receive a response.
