A New York man who has led anti-lockdown protests was ordered by a judge Monday to stay away from a journalist he previously confronted during a protest.
Heshy Tischler was arrested Sunday night and charged Monday with incitement to riot and unlawful imprisonment of journalist Jacob Kornbluh, ABC News reported. Kornbluh, a reporter for Jewish Insider, was surrounded by anti-lockdown protesters who Tischler allegedly egged on during a protest in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday.
“I shouldn’t have lost it,” Tischler told The New York Post after he was released. “They’re saying I’m some sort of leader. I’m not. I’m just standing up for my community.” (RELATED: Big Tech Censors Content That Counters The WHO, Despite It Repeatedly Flip-Flopping On Its Guidance)
Following the Wednesday incident, Kornbluh alleged that he was “brutally assaulted, hit in the head, and kicked” by the protesters after Tischler ordered them to chase him down. Video of the incident appeared to show Tischler yelling at Kornbluh who is surrounded by a large crowd.
I was just brutally assaulted, hit in the head, and kicked at by an angry crowd of hundreds of community members of the Boro Park protest — while yelling at me “Nazi” and “Hitler” —after Heshy Tischler recognized me and ordered the crowd to chase me down the street
— Jacob Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) October 8, 2020
The protest, which took place in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, was triggered by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that houses of worship and businesses in certain areas would face renewed coronavirus restrictions, ABC News reported. Most neighborhoods affected by Cuomo’s announcement have large Orthodox Jewish communities.
“When you see the cluster, you have to stop it at that point,” Cuomo said at an Oct. 6 press conference. “Our strategy is to crush the cluster and stop the spread, and we’re announcing a special initiative to do just that.” (RELATED: Orthodox Jewish Community Protests Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s New Coronavirus Lockdown Restrictions)
Cuomo highlighted five areas in the state experiencing an uptick in cases and announced new measures that would affect those areas. In most areas of the areas he mentioned, including Brooklyn, Cuomo said houses of worship would only be allowed to admit 10 people at once.
A prominent Orthodox Jewish organization and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn both filed lawsuits against the State of New York following Cuomo’s announcement, NBC New York reported. Agudath Israel of America argued that the state’s new restrictions unfairly targeted members of the Orthodox Jewish community.
“The numbers have stabilized,” Tischler told the New York Post. “No one is dying.”
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in March as coronavirus spread rapidly around the world. New York has reported more coronavirus deaths than any other state, according to data compiled by The New York Times.
Cuomo’s office did not immediately respond to request for comment.
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