TESTIMONY
Les Garson on Public Safety and Anti-Semitic Violence in New York City
2:13:45
·
4 min
Les Garson speaks about feeling unsafe in New York City due to anti-Semitic violence and protests following the Hamas attacks on Israel. She shares personal experiences of fear and lack of security in public spaces and emphasizes the need for stronger law enforcement to protect citizens from hate-inspired violence. Her testimony connects the rise in public demonstrations celebrating the attacks on Israel and calling for genocide to his increased personal sense of danger. Garson advocates for empowering the police to enforce laws against unlawful protests and violence, aiming to safeguard all residents, regardless of religion, from disruptive behavior and violence.
Les Garson
2:13:45
No, ma'am.
2:13:55
Hi.
2:13:56
My name is Les Garson.
2:13:58
I'm here again to really talk about public safety and not feeling very safe right now in New York.
2:14:05
I'll try to stay on the topic and be respectful.
2:14:09
I work in the school system, so this is something that's very close to home to me.
2:14:14
And I actually took time off to be here today, so I hope you'll give me a few moments to read my testimony.
2:14:20
As I mentioned, I've been feeling anxious and and then safe living in New York City since the Hamas barbaric attacks on Israel on October 7th.
2:14:29
I've been shocked by some of the protests celebrating what happened, calling for genocide of Jews and expanding their movement as they feel empowered, and that held accountable for their act I lived in New York City for 53 years and have never experienced this feeling before.
2:14:45
I would ride the trains at walk around the city being proud of my religion and now I'm conscious about who's around me and fearing another protest.
2:14:53
I will often felt trapped in my car when I can escape.
2:14:57
When there's a protest in the area and bridges in different streets or shut down where I'm trying to get my kid off the bus and I can't get home in time.
2:15:06
Or when it was downtown Sunday night leaving in advance, and I like you to hear as loud drumming and chanting from the river to the sea.
2:15:13
Palestine will be free.
2:15:14
Can hear it from blocks away because it was so loud.
2:15:17
My friend encountered the crowd with her 2 young children and they were petrified.
Yusef Salaam
2:15:23
I'm sorry, but we have to stay on topic for wrongful convictions.
2:15:25
I know you're talking about public safety, but this is a hearing of wrongful convictions.
UNKNOWN
2:15:29
Okay.
2:15:29
Well, Mister chairman the gentleman here to 4 who spoke prior prior to this panel spoke about him being murdered and executed and whatnot and got his full 2 minutes.
2:15:41
And certainly wasn't the topic of the day.
2:15:43
And I just wanna point that out, Mister Sharon.
Yusef Salaam
2:15:47
Oh, understood.
2:15:47
Definitely.
2:15:48
I just I know you said public safety, and I understand exactly what
Les Garson
2:15:52
Yeah.
2:15:52
So I'm not feeling safe.
2:15:54
And you can I continue?
2:15:55
Or okay.
2:15:59
So remember being a panic after seeing footage of a Propel Staining Rally, a Columbus Circle where they were chanting storming the building and viciously cutting down the kidnapped signs with knives.
2:16:10
And I saw an image of an older man who slashed on the face.
2:16:13
All I could think about is my mother who I knew was in the area at the time.
2:16:16
And when I got in touch with her, she said she just got out and was led out the back tour of the Time Warner building.
2:16:23
I witnessed the aftermath of a protest that led up to the mayor's mansion where, again, kidnapped signs for down where spray paints in front of the mirror's mansion about freeing free guards right in front of the police officers with no respect of consequences.
2:16:43
Plastered stickers everywhere saying as real as committing genocide in Gaza, and Zionist donors, and trustees, hands off or universities.
2:16:50
As we know, Zion, using Zionist in that term is lately anti Semitic, if I can quote by Martin Luther King.
2:16:58
He said, when people criticize Zionist, they mean Jews.
2:17:02
You are talking about anti Semitism.
2:17:05
My friend who lives in Westchester won't even visit me anymore in your city because she fears these protests.
2:17:11
I even was on the phone this week with my insurance company, and the representative said that she was planning on coming to New York City for the holidays as she does every year.
2:17:20
But this year, they canceled because they see on social media and in the news, these violent protests going on and they don't feel safe anymore in New York City.
2:17:29
I can't even escape it.
2:17:30
I walked by a closed restaurant store front the other day, and spray painted in red with free Palestine across the window.
2:17:40
Enough is enough already.
2:17:44
We need to empower the police to enforce the law and not empower protesters who break the law by not having permits obstructing traffic and inciting violence in a hate.
2:17:55
We need to protect all citizens, Jews, and non Jews alike from violence and disruptive behavior impinging on the rights of others.
2:18:03
Thank you.