The NYPD arrested a Republican city councilwoman early Friday morning after she was allegedly spotted with a handgun in her pants at a pro...
The NYPD arrested a Republican city councilwoman early Friday morning after she was allegedly spotted with a handgun in her pants at a pro-Palestinian protest.
New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, 39, was taken into custody around 3 a.m. after Thursday’s pro-Palestinian demonstration at Brooklyn College.
Earlier at the protest, Vernikov recorded and posted a video of herself standing near the protesters.
“I’m here at the pro-Hamas rally in Brooklyn College. There is a ton of police, and we made sure that Jewish students feel safe today,” she said in the video, which was posted to X.
In the background, the pro-Palestinian protesters could be heard chanting, “Free, free Palestine!”
“This is what they’re doing, protesting, supporting Hamas, asking to globalize the intifada, to bring the terror that the people of Israel are experiencing now, to bring it here to New York City,” Vernikov said.
“If you are here today standing with these people, you are nothing short of a terrorist without the bombs,” she added.
Vernikov was charged with criminal possession of a firearm, police said.
“The Councilwoman was at the location observing a pro-Palestine protest which was taking place, and in the course of doing so, the Councilwoman was observed with the butt-end of a firearm (handgun) protruding from the front portion of her pants,” the NYPD told Fox News.
“This image was disseminated on social media, per photos taken at the scene by various individuals,” the NYPD said.
Vernikov, a Ukrainian-born lawyer who represents southern Brooklyn, later turned herself in to police. She surrendered both her licensed gun and her permit license, the NYPD said.
“At no point in time was anyone menaced or injured as a result of her possessing the firearm at the earlier protest,” the NYPD added.
Under New York state law, it is illegal to bring a gun to a protest, even for licensed gun owners.
Both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests have broken out in cities across the country, including in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta.
The demonstrations are sparked by last weekend’s terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas, which killed about 1,300 people, including at least 27 Americans.
The NYPD ramped up security ahead of dueling protests across the city.
Within hours after Hamas’ attacks on Israel began, disturbing, graphic videos circulated showing murdered Israeli civilians, as well as Hamas soldiers with hostages, including children, the elderly, and bloodied women who appear to have been sexually assaulted.
Israel is now waging a massive counteroffensive, launching hundreds of airstrikes in Hamas-controlled territory, mobilizing 300,000 reservists, and putting tanks near the Gaza border.
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