The owner of a New York art gallery claims he was assaulted by a group of as many as 18 teens for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat Tuesday evening, according to KTLA sister station WPIX in New York City.
Jahangir Turan, 42, told police he was walking in SoHo, along Canal Street near Mercer Street, around 6:50 p.m. when he was punched by a group of people in an unprovoked manner.
Turan claims the group of about 15 to 18 teens yelled “F— Trump” and attacked him for being a supporter of Donald Trump. He says he suffered a swollen, damaged eye and other injuries.
“It’s sad to be beaten up like this because I was wearing the hat,” he said at a news conference Thursday. “This is America. Everybody has a right.”
According to police, Turan refused medical attention at the scene.
Police are investigating the incident, but Turan claims they are not doing enough. He said when authorities arrived, they were more concerned with an unrelated double stabbing at a nearby subway station on Canal Street.
Video on the mobile app Citizen shows police chasing a possible stabber in the subway incident.
“I didn’t feel police cared as much as they did about the subway stabbing, and a few of the kids were still there,” Turan said. “Make an arrest.”
Turan, who lives in Hoboken, told WPIX he will still wear the hat in New Jersey, but never again in New York City.
“It is just too dangerous to wear this hat in New York City,” he said.
