The weekly “Democracy on the Corner” protest at Greenwood Avenue and Broad Street saw its first assault on Aug. 7, marking a departure from the peaceful gatherings held every Thursday since April.
According to protesters, a small group displaying a banner reading “Stop Starving Gaza” and holding two Palestinian flags was approached by a man in a red cap. Witnesses said he broke one flag over his knee, then lunged at a protester with the broken stick.
He then tried to pull another flag from the hands of a younger protester, calling them “Nazis.”
“I’m a complete pacifist. I don’t think violence is a solution for anything, but this person went after the young person and was grabbing at their hair. And I then wrapped my hand around his arm to try to pull him away,” one protester said.
Two other demonstrators stepped in, telling the man to calm down and leave. They followed when he walked off. The man turned, swung his arm, and struck the protester in the upper lip, saying, “Get your hands off me,” the protester said.
Another witness reported seeing him flee through backyards.
Hopewell Township police said officers responded to the scene after a call from one of the protesters. A suspect matching the description was located on Columbia Avenue, admitted to breaking a flag due to frustration with the protest, and was arrested. Police said further investigation revealed he also struck the reporting party during the altercation.
The man was charged with simple assault, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, and released after processing. The matter is scheduled to be heard in municipal court.
One protester who was part of the group behind the banner said they had previously faced backlash for pro-Palestinian sentiments from others at the weekly protest.
“I waited two weeks because I had work and I had things I had to do. But when I was ready, I came back and then I was pretty surprised to have someone pop me in the face and try to lunge at me and attack another young person who was an ally,” the protester said.
“Starvation of children and death of children with American weapons that my taxes and your taxes pay for, that’s really the issue to me. It’s bigger to me than someone who tried to physically assault me,” they said. “The fact that I’ve been sort of, I wouldn’t say ostracized, but sort of ignored at these protests hurts my feelings more than anything else… I’m not saying that they have to agree with my political points of view. So if they want to ignore me, that’s fine, but I do feel I have a right to be there.”
The Thursday protests, which began in April, have drawn between 20 and 80 participants each week. Demonstrators say they plan to continue gathering.
MercerMe has withheld the names from this story to protect the victim and the person charged with the crime. MercerMe does not regularly publish names from the police blotter because we believe this reflects our commitment to fairness and responsible journalism. You can read more about the policy on our website.
