Two women who were brutally assaulted during a pro-Palestinian protest in Crown Heights last April have filed lawsuits against the city, alleging that New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers failed to protect them from the violent crowds. The incident occurred near Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters on Eastern Parkway, where demonstrators gathered to protest Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's appearance.
Enbar Ozeri, a dual citizen of the US and Israel, attended the small pro-Palestinian rally but was struck in the head by an object thrown by a counterprotester. Her injury required stitches according to her lawsuit. Amanda Luci, on the other hand, was approached by young men and boys, many wearing traditional Hasidic attire, who called her a protester and threatened her with sexual assault before surrounding her.
Luci told Gothamist that her experience was like "existing," but being attacked just for existing. The viral video of the incident shows a single police officer escorting Luci to safety after the chaos subsided. Despite the assault, no one has been arrested in either case.
The lawsuits claim that NYPD officers took a permissive approach and allowed illegal behavior when demonstrations promote viewpoints favored by the department. They point to an internal training manual for the Strategic Response Group as evidence of this bias, which lists only left-wing causes such as anti-Trump demonstrations, Occupy Wall Street, and Black Lives Matter as violent or noncompliant.
The plaintiffs argue that this biased approach created a situation where officers failed to protect them from harm. They're seeking unspecified damages in their lawsuits.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has vowed to disband the Strategic Response Group, which is responsible for deploying police units at protests. The unit has faced criticism over its handling of past incidents, including a 2018 Proud Boys protest where one group leader brandished a sword without facing repercussions.
The NYPD declined to comment on pending litigation but acknowledged that they're investigating the cases and provided additional details about the response to Luci's incident. Chabad-Lubavitch, which has condemned the actions of those who attacked Ozeri and Luci, didn't provide further comment on the lawsuits.
City Councilmember Crystal Hudson expressed frustration over the lack of arrests in the case, stating that she had meetings with NYPD officials about the incident but they acknowledged identifying suspects without making any moves to prosecute.
Enbar Ozeri, a dual citizen of the US and Israel, attended the small pro-Palestinian rally but was struck in the head by an object thrown by a counterprotester. Her injury required stitches according to her lawsuit. Amanda Luci, on the other hand, was approached by young men and boys, many wearing traditional Hasidic attire, who called her a protester and threatened her with sexual assault before surrounding her.
Luci told Gothamist that her experience was like "existing," but being attacked just for existing. The viral video of the incident shows a single police officer escorting Luci to safety after the chaos subsided. Despite the assault, no one has been arrested in either case.
The lawsuits claim that NYPD officers took a permissive approach and allowed illegal behavior when demonstrations promote viewpoints favored by the department. They point to an internal training manual for the Strategic Response Group as evidence of this bias, which lists only left-wing causes such as anti-Trump demonstrations, Occupy Wall Street, and Black Lives Matter as violent or noncompliant.
The plaintiffs argue that this biased approach created a situation where officers failed to protect them from harm. They're seeking unspecified damages in their lawsuits.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has vowed to disband the Strategic Response Group, which is responsible for deploying police units at protests. The unit has faced criticism over its handling of past incidents, including a 2018 Proud Boys protest where one group leader brandished a sword without facing repercussions.
The NYPD declined to comment on pending litigation but acknowledged that they're investigating the cases and provided additional details about the response to Luci's incident. Chabad-Lubavitch, which has condemned the actions of those who attacked Ozeri and Luci, didn't provide further comment on the lawsuits.
City Councilmember Crystal Hudson expressed frustration over the lack of arrests in the case, stating that she had meetings with NYPD officials about the incident but they acknowledged identifying suspects without making any moves to prosecute.
this is like, so sad 
the whole thing just feels super unfair 
especially with those videos popping up all over social media and people still not taking responsibility for their actions 
it's crazy how some of these police officers are more worried about being filmed by protesters than actually doing their job 
️ you gotta do better than this 
especially with the Strategic Response Group (SRG) internal training manual 
that list of causes they're highlighting is like, super biased 
it's no wonder people are getting hurt and feeling disrespected when their own cops aren't taking care of them 
and holding the city accountable for this mess 
we need to make sure our police departments are working for everyone, not just one side of the aisle 
this is so not ok... can u imagine being in a crowded protest and just getting attacked because u dont agree w/ the crowd? it's like, whats the point of even having cops if they're gonna just sit back & let that happen? 
i feel for these women who got hurt, it's absolutely unacceptable. the fact that no one got arrested is just crazy... how are we supposed to trust our cops when they can't even keep us safe in a peaceful protest? 
and btw, who does Chabad-Lubavitch think they are, condemning someone & then not saying anything about these lawsuits? 
and now these lawsuits are comin' in and it's like, the city's all like "oh we're investigatin'" 
but what's the point if no one gets held accountable? 
like how about some community policing or somethin'? 
. And don't even get me started on that internal training manual - what a joke 
. It's like they're saying "Hey, we'll only protect you if you're left-wing, sorry right-wing". Unbelievable 
. These lawsuits need to be settled ASAP so justice can be served 
.
. The plaintiffs are right to sue the city and seek damages. This is unacceptable behavior and we need real change now 
. It's a start, but we need more concrete steps towards reforming our policing policies. I'm not holding my breath yet, but I'll believe it when I see it 
.
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just read this article and its so sad what happened to those 2 women, i cant even imagine bein attacked just for existin. the fact that no one's been arrested in either case is super frustrating, especially since the vids show police officers doin almost nothin to stop the violence. it seems like the NYPD has a problem with dealin with situations where its own views are challanged. i hope the lawsuits can bring some change and maybe even get those who attacked them held accountable
hopefully that'll help prevent more incidents like this. but still gotta get justice 4 these gals 
It's easy to criticize from the sidelines, but what would we do if we were in their shoes? I mean, those young men and boys were just doing what they thought was right, even if it was wrong. Maybe they didn't realize the impact of their actions? Let's not jump to conclusions here... 
We gotta have a balanced perspective on this whole thing.
. These two women were just minding their own biz at a peaceful protest and then BAM! They get attacked by these crazy people who can't even be bothered to hide their hatred 
. No arrests, no charges, no justice served whatsoever.
. But nope, the NYPD is basically saying that only certain causes are worthy of protection 
.
. It's like, we're supposed to be a society where everyone is treated with dignity and respect 
. But I guess not 
.
. Apparently, pro-Palestinian protesters were getting really aggressive towards the counterprotesters and NYPD didn't do much to stop them 
. Did you see that video of Amanda Luci being escorted by a single officer? 
. That's just not fair to everyone else who wants to protest 
. I'm thinking we need more data on how police respond to different types of protests 
. A study by the Brennan Center found that law enforcement use of force is more likely against protesters of color 
. We need to see some real change in the way police are trained and deployed