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Jewish NYC lawmaker Inna Vernikov arrested after carrying gun to pro-Palestinian protest
(New York Jewish Week) — Jewish New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov was arrested on Friday after appearing with a handgun outside a pro-Palestinian protest, as tensions flared in the city following Hamas’ devastating attack on Israel, and Israel’s military response in Gaza.
Vernikov, a Republican, attended the protest at Brooklyn College on Thursday afternoon to repudiate the pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
“There is a ton of police and we made sure that Jewish students feel safe,” she said in a video she posted from the scene to X, as protesters chanted “Free Palestine” behind her.
She also brought a gun, according to police and images from the scene that showed a gun tucked into her waistband. While Vernikov had a license to own a gun, guns are not permitted in “sensitive locations” in New York, including on college campuses and at protests.
One image was posted on social media by Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, a progressive group, which charged that Vernikov “brought a GUN to a rally to intimidate students” and used the hashtag #ExpelVernikov.
Police contacted Vernikov after the images circulated and she turned herself into the NYPD’s 70th precinct, where she was charged with criminal possession of a firearm. A protest is considered a “sensitive location” under New York firearms law, and criminal possession at such an event is a felony.
Vernikov surrendered her firearms license at the precinct and could face further consequences.
The New York City Council said in a statement that the incident was being investigated and “may require the recusal of committee members.”
The council said, “It is unacceptable and unlawful for a civilian to ever bring a firearm to a rally or protest, and especially important for elected officials to model a respect for the law that is expected of all New Yorkers.”
New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul said, “New York’s gun safety laws apply to everyone.”
New York State Senator Julia Salazar said on X, “There is no excuse, none whatsoever, for an elected official to bring a firearm to a college campus in New York.”
Officially a licensed gun owner! pic.twitter.com/5W4GQYyXXb
— Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (@InnaVernikov) September 5, 2023
Vernikov, a lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. She posted on social media last month that she was officially a licensed gun owner, adding that she was going to bring the firearm “to as many places as I’m legally allowed to.” She also signaled that she was interested in a challenge to New York’s concealed carry law that seeks to widen the number of places where guns can be brought.
Vernikov, 39, is the City Council minority whip representing the 48th district in south Brooklyn and was elected to office in 2021. Born in what is today Ukraine, she represents parts of south Brooklyn with a significant Jewish population, including many immigrants from the former Soviet Union. She has been heavily involved in Jewish and pro-Israel causes, both as a city councilmember and before taking office.
Ahead of the protest, she released a statement urging caution due to the war but said the NYPD reported no credible threats of violence or terror in New York.
In a video posted from the rally, she described the demonstrators as “nothing short of terrorists, without the bombs.”
On Friday, as pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated in Manhattan, Vernikov was silent on the issue. Instead, she tweeted prayers for people in Israel and thanks to those trying to help stranded Americans get home.
One of the first responses focused on her arrest. “There’s news being broadcast that you were arrested and charged with a felony for carrying your firearm near a school. A firearm that you had a Concealed Carry permit to carry. Is this true?” one commenter replied. “Do you have an attorney yet? Can we set up a fund to help you?”
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The post Jewish NYC lawmaker Inna Vernikov arrested after carrying gun to pro-Palestinian protest appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Riding Anti-Trump Wave, Australia’s Albanese Secures 2nd term
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media during a press conference with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Aug. 16, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy
i24 News – Australia’s Anthony Albanese claimed a second term as prime minister on Saturday, in a comeback against once-resurgent conservatives that commentators said was powered by voters’ concerns about the impact of US President Donald Trump.
Peter Dutton, leader of the conservative Liberal party, conceded defeat and the loss of his own seat, echoing the fate of Canada’s conservatives and their leader Pierre Poilievre, whose election losses last week were also widely attributed to a Trump backlash.
Supporters at Labor’s election party in Sydney cheered and hugged each other as Albanese claimed victory and said his party would form a majority government.
“Our government will choose the Australian way, because we are proud of who we are and all that we have built together in this country,” Albanese told supporters.
The Australian Electoral Commission website projected Labor would win 81 of 150 seats in the House of Representatives, increasing its majority in parliament, with 68% of the vote counted.
The post Riding Anti-Trump Wave, Australia’s Albanese Secures 2nd term first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israeli PM Netanyahu Postpones Upcoming Visit to Azerbaijan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem, Feb. 16, 2025. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed next week’s visit to Azerbaijan, his office announced on Saturday, in part due to recent developments in Gaza and Syria.
The prime minister’s office also cited “the intense diplomatic and security schedule” and said that the visit would be rescheduled, without announcing a new date.
Netanyahu was to visit Azerbaijan from May 7-11 and was expected to meet with President Ilham Aliyev. Israel and Azerbaijan maintain close security and energy ties.
The post Israeli PM Netanyahu Postpones Upcoming Visit to Azerbaijan first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Says It Intercepted Missile Fired from Yemen; Houthis Claim Responsibility
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses followers via a video link at the al-Shaab Mosque, formerly al-Saleh Mosque, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Israel’s military said on Saturday it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen and Houthi forces claimed responsibility for the attack, the third of its kind by the Iran-aligned group in 24 hours.
The Israeli military said sirens were activated in a number of areas in Israel after the missile was launched. No casualties or serious damage have been reported from the missile salvos.
The claim of responsibility, announced by the Houthis’ military spokesperson, came amid an intensification of US airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
In March, US President Donald Trump ordered large-scale strikes against the Houthis to reduce their capabilities and deter them from targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The deadly strikes on the group have been the biggest US military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office in January.
The Houthis say their attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping are in solidarity with the Palestinians in the war between Hamas terrorists and Israel in Gaza.
The group pledged to expand its range of targets in Israel in retaliation for a renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza launched in mid-March, breaking a two-month-old ceasefire after the mediated talks on terms for extending it broke down.
The post Israel Says It Intercepted Missile Fired from Yemen; Houthis Claim Responsibility first appeared on Algemeiner.com.