A New York City couple, Lana and Johan, recently experienced a disturbing incident at an elementary school graduation in Gravesend, Brooklyn. Lana, who is Jewish, and Johan, a Dominican-American practicing Catholicism, attended their 10-year-old twins' graduation from P.S. 682 on June 14.
The altercation began when the couple tried to take pictures with their children in front of a school banner. A family of a boy wearing a pro-Palestinian graduate cap pushed them aside, leading to a confrontation. An older man shouted 'Free Palestine!' for no apparent reason, escalating tensions.
When Johan intervened, he was cursed at in Arabic and physically assaulted by another man. Video footage captured adults fighting outside the school, with Johan being put in a chokehold and his 16-year-old son also getting punched in the face.
Lana was not spared from the violence either. She was knocked to the ground by a woman who threatened her life, adding to the chaos of the situation. The New York Police Department confirmed the incident and arrested Ez-Al Dean Bazar, 26, charging him with third-degree assault.
The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is now investigating the incident to determine if it was motivated by hate. The couple's harrowing experience sheds light on the importance of addressing such acts of violence and intolerance in our communities.
