Female Protester Attacked at Rally for New York Governor Hochul, Video Shows

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks in New York on June 24, 2022. Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Pride Live

A supporter of New York gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) was attacked while protesting at a New York City rally for incumbent Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul, video footage shows.

Angelica Torres was physically accosted, held by a member of the New York City Council, and choked by a male, the footage shows.

The incident took place as Zeldin supporters protested at a Nov. 5 rally for Hochul in the borough of Manhattan.

Leeroy Johnson, an independent photographer who runs the Viral News NY account, captured and shared the video on social media.

The short clip shows Torres being held by a man and Councilwoman Crystal Hudson, a Democrat. When Torres tried to free herself, the man choked her, the footage shows.

Moments later, Torres broke free and shoved Hudson, while the man was confronted by others nearby.

“I was here, holding my sign, a peaceful protest against Gov. Hochul, and a woman—a very large heavyset woman, I’m assuming, you know, might have been a man—came and took my sign. As I was trying to retrieve my sign, another man came and choked me and there was [sic] two other people coming in and trying to prevent me from retrieving my sign,” the woman told Johnson.

The sign said “vote them out” with pictures of Hochul and other Democrats who are on the ballot in the midterm elections.

“I was very shocked and upset that I couldn’t express my opinions openly without violence. Crime and violence is a big issue in our city,” Torres later told Fox News.

She said she sought medical treatment and reported the matter to the police.

The New York Police Department stated that officers responded on Nov. 5 at about 4:55 p.m. to a 911 call of harassment in the area.

“Upon arrival, officers were informed by a 33-year-old female victim that an unidentified female pushed her after a verbal dispute. A male on scene stepped in between the two individuals and attempted to stop the dispute,” a police spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email. “EMS responded and the victim refused medical attention on scene. There are no arrests.”

Hudson took to Twitter after the incident, describing the protesters as “far-right hecklers.”

“I tried to break up a tussle & got shoved in the process. I’m totally fine & appreciate everyone’s concern,” she said.

Zeldin has run on a platform that includes increasing law enforcement as New York deals with a spike in crime.

Hochul, who assumed her post after the resignation of Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has said that Republicans are promoting “this conspiracy going all across America trying to convince people in Democratic states that they’re not as safe.” She later said that “there is a crime issue” and “I’ve been working on this throughout my entire time as governor.”