‘The Mayor Says You Jews Are Getting Us All Sick’: NYC Couple Cite de Blasio During Violent Assault on Brooklyn Hasidim
Error: Contact form not found.
by Ben Cohen

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Photo: Reuters / Andrew Kelly.
A married couple who were arrested in Brooklyn after they attacked a group of Hasidic Jews in a bid to rip off their coronavirus protection masks reportedly cited New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio as justification during the assault.
The attack occurred on Sunday night in the Williamsburg section of the borough. Paulo Pinho, 35, and wife, Clelia Pinho, 46, jumped out of their vehicle at Bedford Ave. and Ross St. where they confronted the three male victims, police said.
“You Jews are getting us all sick,” the couple yelled at a trio of men, according to police sources quoted by the New York Daily News on Monday, before adding: “The mayor says you Jews are the reason we’re getting sick.”
New York Mayor de Blasio sparked anger among Jewish leaders at the end of April for singling out “the Jewish community” in a tweet condemning the alleged violation of coronavirus distancing restrictions at the public funeral of the late Rabbi Chaim Mertz.
Jonathan Greenblatt — head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) — responded to the mayor by telling him that “generalizing against the whole population is outrageous especially when so many are scapegoating Jews.”
The Pinho couple combined their verbal abuse with a physical assault against the three men, with Clelia Pinho falling down and breaking her arm as she attempted to rip off their masks. The couple were held at the scene by members of the Shomrim communal security agency until police arrived to take them into custody.
While Clelia Pinho has no prior record, her husband Paulo has been arrested four times in the past. Most recently, he was detained in May 2019 after he brandished a screwdriver at a 61-year-old man before punching him in the face in a dispute over a parking spot.
Mayor de Blasio meanwhile strongly denounced Sunday’s attack, saying that the Pinhos would likely face hate crimes charges.
“Whether it is this horrible antisemitic act that we saw or the horrible anti-Asian acts we saw in previous weeks, none of these acts of bias or discrimination are acceptable in New York City,” de Blasio declared on Monday.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen Calls For Recognition of ‘State of Palestine’ In New York Times Essay
Jewish Community Remains Most Targeted Group in Belgium’s 2025 Extremist Threat Landscape, New Report Finds
Iran Reportedly Restarts Key Missile Production, Potentially Rebuilding Strike Capabilities Within Months
Jordan’s Textbooks Label ‘Treachery and Violation of Agreements’ as ‘Traits of the Jews,’ Study Finds
Rome Pride Parade Bans Jewish LGBTQ Groups for Not Condemning ‘Genocide’ in Gaza
Ticket Sales Open for 2026 Maccabiah Games Opening Ceremony With Star-Studded Performances
Iranian Hackers Responsible for Los Angeles Transit System Breach, Israeli Researchers Say
Remnants of Assad’s Chemical Weapons Program Recovered, Syrian Official Says
Pentagon Spars With SpaceX Over Starlink Price Hike During Iran War
Ireland to Ban Goods From Israeli Settlements in West Bank by July





Israel Expands Ground Operation Beyond Demarcation Line in South Lebanon as Clashes Intensify
Rome Pride Parade Bans Jewish LGBTQ Groups for Not Condemning ‘Genocide’ in Gaza
A Warning From History: Conspiracies About Jews Never Stop There
Israel Is Accused of Weaponizing Hunger; Other Conflicts Show What That Actually Looks Like
Quiet Courage: The Germans Who Choose to Show Up for Israel



