US elections: Jewish car parade for Trump turns into conflict in New York

Warning: this article features violence and offensive language.

Skirmishes broke out between supporters and opponents of President Donald Trump as a Jewish-for-Trump convoy of hundreds of cars draped in American flags and Trump 2020 banners rolled slowly through Manhattan and Brooklyn Sunday afternoon.

The caravan traveled from Coney Island to the Trump Tower in Manhattan before heading to a rally in a Brooklyn park. Videos shared on Twitter showed several protesters throwing eggs or rocks at vehicles, snatching flags and yelling insults.

One video showed a small group of people throwing objects from a Brooklyn freeway overpass at vehicles adorned with Trump flags.

In another video showing physical fights between various people, police officers detain an unidentified man and protesters yell “let him go.”

New York City Police said seven people were arrested in connection with physical clashes in Times Square. The charges were pending Sunday night.

According to the Jews for Trump website, the rally was intended to show solidarity with “the besieged Red Zone community,” a reference to coronavirus hot spots designated by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as areas where the Schools and non-essential businesses must close to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The rally follows weeks of tensions in Brooklyn’s Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods over coronavirus restrictions.

Boris Epshteyn, a Trump campaign adviser and co-chair of Jewish Voices for Trump, organized the rally.