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.”
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.
