NEW YORK – The New York Area Police Department said it would step up its presence this weekend after social media posts circulating online referred to a so-called “Day Nation of Hatred” against Jewish groups.
New York police said there would be ‘additional resources’ at some sensitive places such as houses of worship throughout the weekend, after online posts said there would be forms of protests on Saturday. The department added that no specific threats have been identified for New York City, but the increase in resources would be done out of prudence.
“We urge all New Yorkers to remain vigilant and if you see anything suspicious, please call 1-888-NYC-SAFE,” a police spokesperson said.
Adding more patrol cars has brought relief to Brooklyn residents, including Mindy Lovi.
“We are all concerned about the threats. It’s all happening on social media, so yeah, seeing them there makes us feel safe,” the Midwood woman said.
Lakewood, New Jersey, police also said there was “no credible information to suggest these threats will affect New Jersey,” but said they would further increase the number of officers on duty in marked cars. and unmarked, to ensure the safety of residents.
The social media posts had been shared by anti-Semitic groups and the alleged planned protests targeted Jewish communities, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
The threat this weekend is vague, but Jewish congregations across the country are asking worshipers to remain vigilant.
“There has been a huge increase in anti-Semitic incidents, New York has the most and New Jersey is number 2, the numbers for 2021 were staggering and they are even higher for 2022,” Rabbi Marc Katz said.
Katz said pre-weekend services at Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield will continue as scheduled. The focus, he added, “will remain on Ukraine tonight.”
The Essex County congregation of more than 500 families fell victim to possible arson last month when a burning gasoline bottle failed to break through the reinforced glass of a door of synagogue. No one was hurt.
The potential threat of protests and violence comes after a group of neo-Nazis harassed theatergoers as they lined up before a Broadway performance of ‘Parade’ on Tuesday night. A member of the public posted video of the hate-filled rally outside the Bernard Jacobs Theater on West 45th Street and described the chilling moments. Another person who tried to film the protesters reportedly had their phone snatched and thrown into the street.
Those who demonstrated chanted, held up banners and handed out flyers claiming the show glorified paedophilia.
Protesters were targeting “Parade,” a musical cover of the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man lynched in 1915 after being wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl. A subsequent legal review confirmed that Frank had been wrongfully accused.
“No one should miss the irony that these anti-Semitic extremists decided to protest a play detailing the true story of the lynching of an innocent Jewish man by an anti-Semitic mob and used it as an opportunity to spread conspiracy theories. and hatred,” he said, he told the Anti-Defamation League in a statement.
For one person in the audience, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, the protesters gave her even more reason to support the production.
“I was going to get them anyway, but it’s also my way of protesting that you can’t get me out of my own country,” Nina Mogilnik said. “It’s a little hard to take.”
Tony Award winner Ben Platt stars in the production, saying in a video shared to Instagram that “it was really, really ugly and scary, but a wonderful reminder of why we’re telling this story and how much the art and theater can be powerful”. .
The show’s producers went on to say that “if there is any doubt about the urgency of telling this story at this point in the story, the nastiness that has been displayed (Tuesday night) should leave it alone. “.