The NYPD is actively searching for two women involved in an assault on a Jewish individual in the Upper West Side. The incident unfolded when the 41-year-old victim confronted the duo as they were in the process of tearing down posters featuring Israelis kidnapped by Hamas. The confrontation took place just before 10 p.m. on Thursday, near the intersection of Riverside Drive and West 82nd Street. The victim, witnessing the suspects removing the “Missing Persons” posters from a light pole, engaged in a verbal dispute with the pair while recording the incident on her cellphone.

As the verbal exchange escalated, the two women physically assaulted the Jewish woman. In the course of the assault, they forcefully removed her Star of David necklace, knocked her cellphone out of her hand, and subsequently fled the scene on foot. The victim sustained minor injuries to her face and neck during the altercation, and her cellphone suffered damage.

The NYPD has described the suspects as individuals standing about 5-foot-6-inches tall, weighing approximately 135 pounds each, with tan skin and black hair. Both were last seen wearing dark clothing, and one of the suspects had a nose ring.

This incident is part of an alarming trend of antisemitic acts where protesters deliberately tear down or vandalize posters displaying images of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas. These posters, distributed across the five boroughs since the unexpected attack by Hamas on October 7, have become a focal point of tension. Mayor Eric Adams has strongly condemned these actions, characterizing them as a “deeply misguided act of disrespect to victims of terrorism.”

Despite the public outcry against such acts, anti-Israel protesters persist in tearing down the posters, resulting in recent arrests. This growing trend has left many New Yorkers increasingly frustrated, with some expressing the belief that these actions are not only criminal but also fundamentally disrespectful and mischievous.