New York Post - 13.08.2019

New York Post, Tuesday, August 13, 2019

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A group of goons punched three

Hasidic men in the face Monday

morning in separate Williamsburg

attacks that are being investigated

as a robbery pattern and possible

hate crimes, according to the

NYPD.

The first incident went down at

80 Ross St. at around 5 a.m. when

three men came up behind a 71-

year-old man, pushed him to the

ground and went through his

pockets before punching him and

running off, police said.

Two similar attacks were re-

ported just a few blocks away at

around 5:30 a.m. — one at 626

Wythe St. and another at 91 Clymer

St., according to police.

The attackers punched those vic-

tims — Jewish men ages 56 and 67,

respectively — in the face before go-

ing through their pockets and turn-

ing up empty-handed, cops said.

“Give me your money,” one of the

attackers said to the 67-year-old, ac-

cording to police.

The NYPD Hate Crimes Unit was

looking into the attacks Monday,

Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea

tweeted. Craig McCarthy

3 Hasids

attacked

A Long Island politician will un-

veil a bill tomorrow that would re-

quire all New York state school chil-

dren to be “educated regarding the

meaning of swastikas and nooses as

symbols of hatred and intolerance.”

The bill, sponsored by state Sen.

Todd Kaminsky (D-Nassau), would

mandate that sixth- through 12th-

grade students in private and public

schools learn about “the meaning of

the swastika as the emblem of Nazi

Germany, as well as the noose as a

symbol of racism and intimidation.”

Kaminsky cited a recent uptick in

hate crimes, highlighting an inci-

dent last week at Theodore

Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster

Bay where seven swastikas were

found scrawled on a pavilion.

Bernadette Hogan

Bid to teach

hate symbols

More than 150 tires have been

slashed on vehicles owned by

Jewish residents in a New Jersey

community in what authorities

are investigating as a bias inci-

dent, according to reports.

A vandal targeted dozens of cars

in the Old Pine Acres section of

Lakewood early Saturday, NJ.com

reported. Surveillance video

posted to the news site captured a

hooded man sticking a knife into

several tires.

Lakewood is home to one of the

biggest yeshivas in the United

States. Yaron Steinbuch

Tire slashings vs. Jews

Talks between the United States

and the Taliban ended Monday

without an agreement that would

end America’s longest war as both

sides returned home to figure out

the next step.

The negotiations, held since last

year in Qatar, sought a deal in

which the US would withdraw its

troops from Afghanistan in ex-

change for the Taliban guarantee-

ing they wouldn’t allow the coun-

try to once again become a base

for Islamic militants.

The eighth round of talks that

began on Aug. 3 were “produc-

tive,” said US envoy Zalmay Khal-

ilzad.

A member of the Taliban negoti-

ating team told Reuters: “We pro-

longed our meeting with the hope

of reaching a peace agreement but

it could not happen.”

Without an agreement from the

Taliban, US officials believe re-

moving their military presence

would give the insurgent group

free rein to try to overthrow the

Afghan government.

Even as talks were underway,

the Taliban continued to carry out

attacks, targeting Afghan forces

and government officials.

More than 2,400 US service

members have died fighting in Af-

ghanistan. Mark Moore, Wires

US, Taliban can’t agree to end 18-year war

By YARON STEINBUCH

Hong Kong International Air-

port canceled all flights Monday

after thousands of pro-democracy

demonstrators stormed the main

terminal amid a protest movement

the central government in Beijing

said was on the verge of terrorism.

The airport reopened early

Tuesday, but there were still major

problems, with Cathay Pacific say-

ing it had already canceled more

than 200 flights.

The developments raised the

stakes dramatically after a week-

end that saw police fire tear gas in-

side a subway station.

“This is about our freedom,” a

24-year-old hooded protester, who

gave his name only as Yu, told

Reuters at the airport Monday eve-

ning. “Why should we leave?”

Hong Kong has been roiled by

mass protests calling for demo-

cratic reforms and an independent

probe into police conduct, with

demonstrators and officers alike

turning to more extreme tactics.

In Beijing, the State Council of

the People’s Republic of China’s

Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Of-

fice issued a statement saying the

situation in the former British col-

ony was “beginning to show the

sprouts of terrorism.”

“One must take resolute action

toward this violent criminality,

showing no leniency or mercy,”

spokesman Yang Guang said.

“Hong Kong has reached an inflec-

tion point where all those who are

concerned about [its] future must

say ‘no’ to lawbreakers and ‘no’ to

those engaged in violence.”

A US State Department spokes-

woman repeated calls for Beijing

to adhere to its commitments to al-

low Hong Kong a high degree of

autonomy after its 1997 handover

from British rule. “We condemn

violence and urge all sides to exer-

cise restraint, but remain staunch

in our support for freedom of ex-

pression and freedom of peaceful

assembly in Hong Kong,” she said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch

McConnell warned China that any

violent crackdown would be

“completely unacceptable.”

“The people of Hong Kong are

bravely standing up to the Chinese

Communist Party as Beijing tries

to encroach on their autonomy

and freedom,” he tweeted. “The

world is watching.”

Earlier Monday, police showed

off water cannons that could be de-

ployed in future demonstrations, a

development that Amnesty Inter-

national has warned could lead to

serious injuries.

“Water cannons are not a toy for

the Hong Kong police to deploy as

a sign of strength,” Man-kei Tam,

the group’s Hong Kong director,

said in a statement.

The slogan “An eye for an eye”

was plastered all over the airport

— a reference to a female protester

whose eye was injured during

clashes with riot police who fired

tear gas and beanbags on Sunday,

according to CNN.

“I just don’t understand how peo-

ple can tolerate that kind of police

brutality,” said Hilary Lo, an ac-

counting firm worker, according to

The Guardian. “I feel like if I don’t

come out now, I can’t come out ever.

“People are starting to realize

the police are out of control, espe-

cially with what has happened in

the past two weeks.” With Wires

HK airport shut down

as protests intensify

NO-FLY ZONE: Pro-democracy protesters occupy the main terminal of Hong Kong International Airport Monday, forcing the cancellation of all flights

Getty Images