Man accused in NYC subway incident that got politicians rethinking an anti-mask law appears in court
NEW YORK - A man accused of warning Zionists to get off a subway train appeared before a judge Monday.
Mayor Eric Adams said the incident was one of several that crossed the line from protest speech to blatant antisemitism.
The case has even prompted Gov. Kathy Hochul to weigh a ban on masks in the subways.
Anas Saleh was wearing a mask aboard a southbound 5 train in Union Square on June 10 when he led a chant saying "Raise your hand if you're a Zionist... this is your chance to get out," according to prosecutors. They say one woman left the car and "was afraid that if she did not leave the subway car, she would be physically harmed."
Saleh is accused of third degree coercion.
As he left court Monday, supporters wearing masks used keffiyehs, foil and umbrellas in an effort to prevent media from speaking with and filming him. On video as Saleh left court, you can hear CBS New York's cameraman say "Please stop touching me. I'm not touching you."
Saleh, 24, a Staten Island resident, turned himself in last week after the NYPD put out a message that they were looking for him. The judge denied two motions by his attorney to dismiss the charge. The defense attorney said the DA is under pressure to prosecute cases against pro-Palestinian supporters because of rising antisemitism, and she said this was protest speech.
For now, Saleh was ordered to stay away from the woman who got off the subway. The DA is looking for additional witnesses and video. Saleh is due back in court Aug. 12. If convicted, he faces up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
Reports say Saleh works at a research lab for Weill Cornell Medicine. A representative said it is cooperating with the NYPD and are conducting their own internal review.
Anti-mask law under consideration
The subway incident happened as Saleh and his group were on their way to a rally outside the Nova Exhibit, where flags of the terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah were flown, prosecutors said.
"That is inciting violence against an entire community," said Lisa Katz of the Combat Antisemitism Movement. "Zionism is believing that Jews should have a country that they call home, and people on a subway and they're calling out Jews."
"There are people who are not afraid to go out and say exactly what the Nazis did from 1938 to 1945. This is exactly what they did," Yigal Nisell of the Combat Antisemitism Movement said.
Hochul has said she's looking to see whether the ban on masks on subways that existed before the pandemic can be restored.
"We will not tolerate individuals wearing masks to evade responsibility for criminal or threatening behavior," Hochul said back in June. "These abhorrent acts of antisemitism have absolutely no place in America, but particularly not in the state of New York."
"Cowards hide their faces. There's no room for hate against any group in this city," Adams said in June. "I agree with those who are calling for removal of the masks, not only for the protesters who're using vile language, but also criminal behavior."
Last week, Jewish and Black leaders including the NAACP New York State Conference announced support for a proposed state law that would ban masks at protests.