Justice Department Acts Amid Campus Tensions Over Israel-Gaza
United States: In a significant move reflecting growing federal attention on hate-based violence amid campus unrest, the U.S. Department of Justice has charged 20-year-old Tarek Bazrouk of New York with federal hate crimes. The charges stem from three separate assaults against Jewish individuals at protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict, including two Columbia University students.
Incidents Linked to NYC Protests
The DOJ alleges that Bazrouk attacked victims during demonstrations in Manhattan: one in April 2024 near the New York Stock Exchange, one in December 2024 at Columbia University, and another in January 2025 near Gramercy Park. He reportedly punched two Jewish individuals and kicked a third, and seized an Israeli flag from pro-Israel protesters, as reported by Reuters.
DOJ Cites Anti-Semitic Motive
Bazrouk’s Court filings reported him as a “Jew hater” and had supported Hamas via text messages obtained through a search warrant. These communications and the specific nature of the attacks resulted in the allegation of three hate crime charges, which are 10-year prison terms should all the allegations prove to be potential.
🇺🇸 — WATCH: Exclusive footage from the NYPD arrests at Columbia earlier tonight, shared with Belaaz by the Mayor’s office.
— Belaaz News (@TheBelaaz) May 8, 2025
– A source tells Belaaz that the NYPD transferred a protestor to FBI custody today because local prosecutors were expected to release him without charges.… pic.twitter.com/Mf6iKX9taD
Legal and Political Implications
This presumably is the first federal hate crime indictment relating to the spate of pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel campus protest activities, although the DOJ has yet explicitly to declare it as such. The case provides an insight into the efforts the Justice Department made to limit bias-motivated violence as campus and community relations escalated, as reported by Reuters.
