ABC reporter CeFaan Kim was accosted with racial slurs while reporting on Jewish Hasidic schools open in a Brooklyn “red zone” on Tuesday.
Kim was on scene at one of the schools, Bais Yaakov D’Chassidei Gur on 51st St. in Midwood, to report on the “blatant violation of state executive order,” when a man in a blue jacket from the community approached and yelled slurs.
According to Kim, the man identified as Hasidic Jewish and called the reporter “chinky” seven times, while going on “about his feelings about Chinese people.”
“Come here ch**ky… Let me give you a little corona,” he said, claiming he had the virus.
The man in the dark gray hoodie recording on his phone condoned the slurs, saying, “It’s a free country we can say whatever we want.”
This incident comes in light of spiking COVID-19 cases in the Kings County area, which prompted Governor Cuomo to announce a “new cluster action initiative” to combat the hotspots.
The school, being in the red zone, is prohibited from opening and any non-essential mass gathering can be fined $15,000.
Last week, crowds of Orthodox Jewish men lit fires to masks on the streets in a protest over the restrictions. They reportedly beat “dissenters” who disagreed, according to Gothamist.
A Jewish Insider journalist was chased and assaulted verbally and physically that night, Vice reported.
Kim’s followers have since appeared on his social media platforms to express their support for his coverage including Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens), fellow reporters and assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou.
Featured Image Screenshots via @cefaan
