(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – In a new manifestation of the radical left’s ugly face, police have apprehended a journalist from New York City who was allegedly involved in antisemitic vandalism, including an attack on the home of the Jewish director of the Brooklyn Museum.
Samuel Seligson, 32, was arrested on Tuesday and faces charges including two counts of third-degree hate crimes and criminal mischief.
Two months ago, his group defaced several homes in New York City with red paint, The New York Post reports.
The authorities claim the vandalism was executed by five individuals wearing facemasks, who spray-painted slogans on the homes of museum board members, accusing them of supporting genocide.
However, the specific role Seligson played during these incidents was not detailed by the police.
A source from law enforcement communicated to the Associated Press that Seligson was not directly accused of engaging in the vandalism but was instead implicated for filming the events.
Seligson’s lawyer, Leena Widdi, criticized the arrest and subsequent charges as an excessive response by the police towards a recognized journalist holding a city-issued press credential and known for licensing footage to news outlets like ABC News and Reuters.
“Samuel is being charged for alleged behavior that is protected by the First Amendment and consistent with his job as a credentialed member of the press. What is even more concerning, however, is that this member of the press is being charged with a hate crime,” Widdi stated.
Conversely, police insiders have alleged that Seligson assisted the vandals by loading their equipment, driving them to the targeted locations, trespassing on private properties, and not displaying his press credentials during the incidents.
The vandalism occurred shortly after a large group of pro-Palestinian protesters took over the lobby of the Brooklyn Museum, vandalized artwork, and accused the museum of complicity in Israel’s actions in Gaza due to its leadership and financial backers. The museum has denied these allegations.
At the home of Anne Pasternak, the museum’s Jewish director, the vandals displayed a banner labeling her a “White-Supremacist Zionist” and marked her door with an upside-down red triangle—a symbol used by Hamas to designate Israeli military targets—during their early morning operation on June 12.
The vandals are also accused of targeting three additional homes belonging to members of the museum’s board, which sparked widespread condemnation.
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