An unidentified male choked a female protesting a New York Gov. Kathy Hochul rally on Saturday in Manhattan.
Viral News New York first posted a video on Twitter with over 300,000 views, showing at least two people attacking Angelica Torres, a supporter of Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin.
The New York Post reports the altercation near the Stonewall Inn, where Hochul appeared with Bravo host Andy Cohen in an apparent effort to garner more votes from the LGBTQ community ahead of the 2022 Midterm Elections.
“I was here holding my sign, and … peaceful protest, against you know, 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,” Torres told Viral News NY in a video tweet.
Although it’s unclear what led to the altercation, Torres said a man grabbed her by the neck and choked her as she attempted to retrieve her sign while two others prevented her from regaining her property.
“Never wanted to get physical with anyone, I was just there peacefully — just holding my sign — and you know, they didn’t want to hear what I had to say,” she added.
Torres also spoke with FOX News Sunday, saying it upset her that someone attacked her for having a different opinion.
“I was very shocked and upset that I couldn’t express my opinions openly without violence,” she said. “Crime and violence is a big issue in our city.”
Torres received medical treatment and reported the incident to the local authorities.
Councilwoman Crystal Hudson, a Democrat representing Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, was also seen in the video getting pushed by Torres.
Hudson did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
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