Overview
- A visibly Orthodox Jewish woman was assaulted on a southbound C train in Lower Manhattan on Sunday, May 31, when a passenger began shouting antisemitic slurs and then attacked her.
- Video of the encounter captured the attacker shouting phrases including "Jews are eating kids," footage that was shared with advocacy groups and media outlets.
- Police arrested Diana Smith and court records charge her with hate‑crime assault, hate‑crime criminal obstruction of breathing, and aggravated harassment.
- The victim reported being choked, shoved to the floor, and having a clump of hair torn out, and she said she suffered a concussion and trauma as bystanders largely failed to intervene.
- Officials and advocacy groups point to the episode as part of a broader rise in reported antisemitic incidents in New York City this year, and the case will proceed through the city’s criminal courts.