United States: The U.S. Department of Justice charged a New York man with federal hate crimes following an indictment that went unnoticed on Wednesday, which placed the blame for assaulting Jewish victims, two of whom were Columbia University students, in three separate protests over the war in Gaza, as reported by Reuters.
According to the DOJ, 20-year-old Tarek Bazrouk “deliberately targeted and assaulted Jewish victims at protests relating to the Israel/Gaza war.” Bazrouk was taken into custody early on Wednesday.
Victims Included Columbia Students
Bazrouk’s is seemingly the first case of bringing federal hate crime charges by the DOJ in regard to the recent Columbia protests. This information could not be confirmed by a DOJ spokesperson.
The alleged attacks were all said to have occurred in Manhattan, at an April 2024 protest at the New York Stock Exchange, in December 2024 at Columbia University, and in January 2025 near Gramercy Park.
🇺🇸 — WATCH: Exclusive footage from the NYPD arrests at Columbia earlier tonight, shared with Belaaz by the Mayor’s office.
— Belaaz News (@TheBelaaz) May 8, 2025
– A source tells Belaaz that the NYPD transferred a protestor to FBI custody today because local prosecutors were expected to release him without charges.… pic.twitter.com/Mf6iKX9taD
Based on court documents filed on Wednesday, Bazrouk is alleged to have punched two of the Jewish victims in the face and kicked another in the stomach (Fox News 12). Bazrouk also took an Israeli flag from pro-Israel protesters at the Columbia University protest, according to the Justice Department.
Violent Acts and Anti-Semitic Messaging
The DOJ reported that Bazrouk expressed support for Hamas and referred to himself as a “Jew hater” in search-warrant seized text messaging from his mobile phone, as reported by Reuters.
Three counts of committing hate crimes against Bazrouk each can attract a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison, DOJ reports.
An attorney for Bazrouk could not be reached for immediate comment.