assault

Jewish Man Assaulted In New York, Attacker Yells “Kanye 2024”

by

Kanye West’s rants and public statements as of late dangerously inspired more direct and hateful actions in others. According to the New York Police Department, a man in his mid-40s attacked a 63-year-old Jewish man in Central Park. On Wednesday (December 14th), the assailant struck the other man from behind, resulting in a broken hand, chipped tooth, and other injuries. Reportedly, the attacker yelled antisemitic slurs and shouted “Kanye 2024.” Afterwards, he escaped on a bicycle with a cart attached and a sign that read “Hungry Disabled.” The assailant is still at large, though fortunately the assaulted is in stable condition.

NYPD called this an antisemitic incident upfront. Moreover, organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League warned media outlets of the effects of Kanye’s rhetoric. Scott Richman, who leads the League’s New York/New Jersey division, recently spoke to CNN about these instigations.

“When public figures with huge platforms fan the flames of antisemitism, people will copy it and begin to think it’s normal,” Richman told the outlet.

Furthermore, the city’s police department is investigating this case as a hate crime. They’ve requested assistance from the public in identifying the assailant, who they described as having light complexion, a brown jacket, a multi-colored hat, beige pants, and white sneakers.

ABC7 reported a 70 percent increase in hate crimes in New York City last month compared to November 2021. Also, antisemitic attacks rose by 125 percent in this time frame. The NYPD shared data that recorded 45 hate crimes last November, and 20 in November of last year.

However, this is not the first time that Kanye West’s praise of Nazis and attacks toward the Jewish community were directly instigative. A group of antisemites gathered on a Los Angeles freeway shouting hateful speech and brandishing signs. One of them read “Kanye is right about the Jews.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 27: Kanye West is seen on November 27, 2022 in Los Angeles, California (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)

The Anti-Defamation League’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, called Ye’s tirades “vicious.” In addition, the Republican Jewish Coalition “vehemently condemned” the artist and urged public servants and political leaders to “reject these messages of hate.” Moreover, these condemnations come after brands like Adidas cut ties with him and his university revoked his honorary degree.

[via]

Lil Wayne Claims Self-Defense In Ex-Assistant Assault Case

by

Lil Wayne fired back at claims that he assaulted his former assistant on a private jet. According to RadarOnline, the New Orleans rapper is claiming self-defense in the case.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JULY 20: Lil Wayne attends the 2022 ESPYs at Dolby Theatre on July 20, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)

In the latest development, Weezy denied all wrongdoing in the case against him. His ex-assistant, Andrew Williams, previously claimed that the rapper assaulted him on a private jet. In fact, he demanded the court toss out the entire suit altogether.

Weezy denied harming Williams in any capacity before “claiming” that the ex-assistant failed to “exercise reasonable care and diligence” to avoid the alleged damage in the case. Furthermore, the Young Money founder denied Williams was not wrongfully terminated.

Williams filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne, Young Money, and Signature Flight Support earlier this year. He accused Wayne of assault, battery, and inflicting emotional distress. However, Young Money and Signature Flight support face accusations of termination and negligence.

Williams alleged Wayne got into an argument with the pilot of the private jet, which is when he attempted to intervene. Though he may have tried to de-escalate the situation, he claimed Wayne turned around and struck him with a closed fist.

“The combination of a closed fist and the numerous rings and large jewelry on the hands of [Wayne] caused great harm to [Williams],” the suit said. The lawsuit also claims Lil Wayne was “willful and malicious” in order to cause injuries.

Williams added that he left the private jet to get medical attention at a hospital. Afterward, he received an email where someone from Wayne’s team demanded that he return a backpack and a Bluetooth speaker belonging to the rapper. Williams said that the email did not mention anything related to the incident.

The former assistant claims that he suffered emotional and physical damages as a result of the assault. He added that Lil Wayne humiliated him greatly throughout the whole ordeal.

A judge hasn’t ruled on Lil Wayne’s latest filing but we’ll keep you updated on the case.

[Via]