The Iraqi influencer, Nastazia, documented her ordeal as she was harassed by a café patron in New York City over a sticker on her laptop, and his attempt to force her out of the establishment.
In the video, it is shown that the man attacked her because the sticker on her laptop bore the phrase “Free Gaza.” When she attempted to defend herself and express her sorrow for her compatriots in Palestine, his behavior became increasingly aggressive. The café staff tried to intervene, but were unsuccessful. In an attempt to protect Nastazia, they threatened to call the police.
In response, the man threatened the content creator, stating that if she did not lower her phone and stop recording, he would call the police, alleging that the sticker was anti-Semitic. He only left the café after persistent urging from the staff and retrieving the cost of his coffee.
Nastazia said, “I rarely leave my home due to the extent of frustration I feel about Palestine and the racist approach that the United States adopts in dealing with it. This city, which I once felt was my safe haven, has now become unsafe.”
She added, “Yesterday, I decided to have a normal day and go do something fun. So, I met a friend at a café, and immediately after she left, this man approached me and began harassing me about the ‘Free Gaza’ sticker on my laptop.”
Continuing, she said, “When I tried to defend myself, and when the café staff intervened to defend me and did everything in their power to protect me and get him to leave after he refused to depart despite being asked multiple times, he continued to threaten me with the police if I did not stop recording and remove the stickers from my personal belongings.”
The content creator described the situation as “the audacity of racists in thinking that we have to submit to them because they truly believe they are the superior race. That man believes he has the right to demand the removal of stickers from private property, and the audacity to assault me while I was recording as evidence against him.”
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The incident sheds light on the rising intolerance and discrimination that individuals, including influencers, continue to face in various environments.
