A New York City woman has been arrested after allegedly shouting anti-Semitic slurs and physically attacking a Jewish rider on a subway train in Lower Manhattan. The incident, which occurred on Sunday at approximately 2:15 p.m., was captured on video and has sparked outrage.
The Attack
Diana Smith, a resident of the Bronx, was identified by police as the alleged perpetrator. According to reports, Smith boarded a crowded train and began spewing hate-filled remarks. In a video posted on social media, Smith is seen wearing a camouflage jacket and shouting, "Jews are eating kids!" She then allegedly directed her comments toward a 23-year-old Jewish woman from the Upper West Side, saying, "You're a Jew, I smell the kids," while smiling.
The video shows Smith reaching toward the victim as bystanders gasp. She continued yelling, "It's ok for Jews to eat kids, but I can't choke her now." The victim, a nurse originally from Montreal who asked to remain anonymous, told The New York Post that Smith had been warning other passengers about what she claimed were the "dangers of Jews stealing wealth."
Escalation of Violence
The victim said she tried to confront Smith by staring back at her and saying, "So you see my reflection?" Smith allegedly replied, "Yeah, and I smell it on you too." After the victim's phone was knocked from her hand, Smith allegedly choked her, pushed her to the ground, and pulled her hair so forcefully that a clump was ripped from her scalp. The victim also suffered a concussion from the assault.
No one intervened until it was too late, the victim said. She escaped at the next stop to flag down police, while another passenger pushed the emergency button.
Arrest and Charges
Smith was arrested shortly after the incident and faces multiple charges, including hate crime assault, hate crime criminal obstruction of breathing, and aggravated harassment, according to court records. The victim expressed trauma from the ordeal, stating, "She's pure evil, but she was lucid enough to know I was Jewish."
The victim also noted that many bystanders later expressed concern, but she found it triggering. "I kept just thinking, I'm not in Nazi Germany," she told the outlet.
