NEW YORK (AP) — A 30-something woman from Brooklyn expressed her fear for her life after being chased, kicked, and assaulted by a large group of Orthodox Jewish men who misidentified her as a participant in a protest against Israel's far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. The incident occurred on Thursday evening near the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters in Crown Heights, where clashing protests erupted involving pro-Palestinian activists and members of the local Orthodox Jewish community.

The woman, who chose to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, learned about the protest from the noise of police helicopters over her apartment. Curiosity led her to walk over around 10:30 p.m., but by that time, the protest had mostly dissipated. Trying to avoid being filmed, she covered her face with a scarf, which led to the immediate attention of a crowd of approximately 100 men.

“As soon as I pulled up my scarf, a group of 100 men came over immediately and encircled me,” she recounted. The situation escalated quickly, as she faced threats of sexual violence and chants of “death to Arabs.” Initially believing the police would intervene on her behalf, she quickly realized that they were not doing enough to protect her. A single police officer attempted to escort her to safety, but they were followed for several blocks by a jeering mob.

Video footage captured during the ordeal shows the woman being kicked in the back, hit by a traffic cone, and pushed into a trash can by members of the mob. One man can be heard declaring, “This is America. We got Israel. We got an Army now,” further emphasizing the chaotic nature of the confrontation.

Feeling trapped, the woman stated, “I had nowhere to go. I didn’t know what to do. I was just terrified.” Eventually, the officer managed to get her into a police vehicle as the crowd shouted, “Get her!” The mob cheered as she was driven away, highlighting the volatile atmosphere surrounding the protests.

After the incident, the woman reported suffering from physical bruises and emotional trauma, calling for law enforcement to classify the attack as a hate crime. “I’m afraid to move around the neighborhood where I’ve lived for a decade,” she expressed, conveying her feelings of abandonment by those in power.

In a response, a police spokesperson noted that one person had been arrested and five others issued summons related to the protests, though they did not confirm any charges against individuals involved in the assault on the woman. New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated that police were investigating the series of incidents that emerged from the protests, acknowledging another woman from the pro-Palestinian side who also suffered injuries during the confrontations.

“Let me be clear: None of this is acceptable, in fact, it is despicable,” Adams said. He underscored the importance of protecting the rights to peaceful protest while condemning violence and threats.

These protests against Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist Israeli leader known for his controversial views and actions, have drawn significant attention. He is embarking on a U.S. state visit, and his appearance in Brooklyn has resulted in a mixed response, including condemnations from some Jewish organizations who accused protest participants of targeting religious sites.

Rabbi Motti Seligson, a spokesperson for Chabad-Lubavitch, denounced both the anti-Ben-Gvir protesters and the mob that targeted the woman. He criticized those who used violent rhetoric, stating, “The violent provocateurs who called for the genocide of Jews in support of terrorists and terrorism...did so in order to intimidate, provoke, and instill fear.” His comments highlighted the complexities and underlying tensions surrounding the protests, as well as the potential for innocent bystanders to be caught in the middle of turbulent political and social conflicts.