Art Gallery Owner Ambushed for Wearing Trump Hat, Head Bashed into Scaffolding: Allegation
A man says he was beaten up by a group of more than a dozen teenagers Tuesday because he was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat in support of President Donald Trump.
Jahangir Turan, who owns an art gallery in New York City, says he was walking on Canal Street wearing a MAGA hat he had bought earlier in the day at Trump Tower when between 15 and 18 people accosted him.
“I got jumped for wearing this hat, and [they] started cursing at me,” Turan told WNYW-TV.
“Basically one kid took my head and bashed it against the scaffolding pole,” he said. “It all happened within 10 seconds.”
The teenagers yelled “F— Trump” at him, Turan said.
“One girl flipped my hat, and within five to eight seconds, I got pushed from the back of my face, and my face hit the scaffolding pole. I got startled, I walked away,” he said at a news conference, WABC reported.
“Turan says he suffered a fracture in his cheek and a badly swollen eye,” WNYW reported. “He’s awaiting an eye specialist to determine if there is any permanent damage to his sight.”
He eventually was able to call the police but declined immediate medical attention.
“It’s kind of ridiculous to get beat up like this for wearing a hat,” Turan said.
He said he doesn’t plan to show off the cap in public anymore, at least not in the city, because “it’s dangerous to wear a hat like this in New York City.”
Police have yet to make any arrests, the New York Daily News reported.
“On Tuesday, July 30, 2019 at approximately 1850 hours police responded to a 911 call of an assault in 321 Canal Street within the confines of the 1st Precinct,” an NYPD representative said in a statement to The Western Journal.
“Officers were informed by a 35-year-old male victim he was walking when he was punched in the head by unknown individuals in an unprovoked manner. There is no description of the individuals and the victim refused medical attention on scene. The investigation remains ongoing.”
Turan, for his part, has not let the incident affect his support for the president.
“I love President Trump. I think he’s doing a great job,” he said.
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