Sandy MaloneNew York, NY – A massive brawl broke out when counter protesters interrupted a “Jews for Trump” car parade through Manhattan on Sunday and sprayed pepper spray into vehicles in the convoy.
The caravan of hundreds of vehicles flying American and Trump 2020 flags started at Coney Island and rolled through Manhattan to Trump Tower before proceeding into Brooklyn on Oct. 25, FOX News reported.
A family of seven, with four children in their SUV, was attacked on Fifth Avenue and the assault was captured on cell phone video.
The man driving the family’s car told FOX News that they were going down the street with their windows open and flags flying when a counter-protest vehicle pulled up next to them and unleashed pepper spray into their SUV.
“Immediately the kids started crying and screaming and I jumped out of the car after I was peppered [sic] sprayed as well,” he said.
He said his children were “traumatized” by the incident, FOX News reported.
More from brawl in Manhattan when anti-Trump protesters attack #JewsForTrump vehicle convoy pic.twitter.com/KUPratW4Mf
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) October 25, 2020
Videos posted to social media showed the adult family members got out of the SUV after they were attacked and confronted the demonstrators who surrounded them as the song “YMCA” blasted from nearby loudspeakers.
When they got in their vehicle and attempted to leave, videos showed anti-Trump protesters surrounded the vehicle and began beating on it and throwing red paint at it.
The driver, wearing a red Make American Great Again (MAGA) sweatshirt, got out of the car to confront the vandals and a woman wearing an American flag shirt jumped out to try and get him to get back behind the wheel, a video showed.
That’s when an anti-Trump demonstrator tried to jump the man from behind and an all-out brawl began between members of the pro-Trump convoy and violent protesters.
Video showed one of the women standing by the SUV was carrying a Thin Blue Line flag until a protester ripped it off her flag pole and desecrated it.
Other videos showed fists flying between MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporters and counter-protesters.
New York Police Department (NYPD) officers intervened and tried to separate the groups and one of the woman in the SUV that had been attacked took the opportunity to point officers in the direction of the rioter who had sprayed a chemical substance into their vehicle.
She was arrested.
Woman arrested for spraying pepper spray at the #JewsForTrump vehicle convoy on 5 Avenue in Manhattan. pic.twitter.com/kfrwaLTJgT
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) October 25, 2020
NYPD arrested one counter-protester. Another demonstrator splashed an officer with a beverage during the arrest and was chased into the subways. pic.twitter.com/jusiKsyG5G
— NYC Protest Updates 2020 (@protest_nyc) October 25, 2020
More rocks thrown at #JewsForTrump vehicle convoy in Brooklyn. @realDonaldTrump @NYPDnews @TrumpWarRoom pic.twitter.com/SIOmFETQN7
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) October 25, 2020
The violence in the city wasn’t limited to the Manhattan portion of the caravan.
Anti-Trump protesters in Brooklyn lobbed eggs at the Jews for Trump caravan and attacked vehicles that passed close by.
Eggs thrown on #JewsForTrump vehicle convoy in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/IvMC4uGXKN
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) October 25, 2020
More rocks thrown at #JewsForTrump vehicle convoy in Brooklyn. @realDonaldTrump @NYPDnews @TrumpWarRoom pic.twitter.com/SIOmFETQN7
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) October 25, 2020
This man is so upset that a #JewsForTrump vehicle convoy practically shut down the Brooklyn Bridge while heading to Manhattan, that he began punching vehicles. @NYPDnews @realDonaldTrump @TrumpWarRoom pic.twitter.com/6kSZKUoa0F
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) October 25, 2020
Videos showed they assaulted individual vehicles when traffic became stopped in the roadway.
“No one should be attacked for peacefully showing their support of the president, and all Americans, regardless of their political affiliation, should be disgusted by this type of unprovoked violence,” a spokesman for President Donald Trump’s campaign spokesperson told FOX News on Tuesday.
Holly Matkin