By COLlive reporter
A statement has been issued by Crown Heights elected officials Council Member Crystal Hudson, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, and Assemblymember Brian Cunningham in response to an antisemitic gathering planned to take place in the neighborhood on Tuesday afternoon.
The three officials have released a joint statement on Tuesday morning denouncing the planned event as seeking to sow division among longtime residents of the Jewish and Caribbean communities in Crown Heights. “We unequivocally denounce this rhetoric,” they said.
The gathering is planned to take place on Tuesday near Utica Ave and President Street in Crown Heights, the site of a tragic car accident in 1991.
The event flyer states it is in memory of Gavin Cato, a 7-year-old boy who was killed in the car accident, which led to the Crown Heights pogroms and violence against the Jewish community in 1991.
The full statement is as follows:
“Days after Crown Heights experienced its largest mass shooting in recent history, an extremist organization is now seeking to sow division among our healing communities by hosting an anti-Semitic gathering this evening under the guise of a vigil for Gavin Cato a 7-year-old boy who was killed in a car accident that sparked the 1991 Crown Heights riot and led to the murder of 29-year-old Yankel Rosenbaum, an Orthodox Jewish scholar visiting from Australia – on the 34th anniversary of his death.
“The poster promoting the vigil uses anti-Semitic and false rhetoric that only serves to sow division among longtime residents of the Jewish and Caribbean diasporas in Crown Heights. Notably this group has a history of making anti-Semitic statements, calling Chabad-Lubavitch “Zionist Nazis” and celebrating the murders of Sarah and Yaron in Washington DC. This hateful rhetoric does not reflect the views of Crown Heights residents, who gathered at the annual One Crown Heights event days ago to celebrate our diverse communities.
“We unequivocally denounce this rhetoric. Any individual or organization that aims to stoke the flames of division and rewrite history in a blatantly anti-Semitic fashion has no place in our community. We must continue our work to ensure that all residents of Crown Heights can thrive in community with one another.”
Mayor Eric Adams said on X about the event: “The Crown Heights community has come a long way. Today, they are united against hate. We won’t let a hateful fringe group hijack that unity with antisemitic vitriol, disguising as activism. We must stand against this vile attempt to reopen old wounds.”
Yaacov Behrman, Director of the Jewish Future Alliance, said, “We deeply thank Crystal Hudson for taking the lead, and our elected officials Senator Zellnor Myrie and Assembly Member Brian Cunningham, for standing united and speaking out with one voice against antisemitism.”
Statement from @SenatorMyrie @NYAMCunningham and me regarding a planned anti-Semitic gathering tonight in Crown Heights pic.twitter.com/ST6wYIjU8f
— Council Member Crystal Hudson (@CMCrystalHudson) August 19, 2025
On the 34th anniversary of the Crown Heights riots, the JC spoke to Rabbi Yaacov Behrman (@chabadlubavitch) about a new group now targeting the community.
Crown Heights Bites Back describes itself as “resisting the state and providing food, clothing, and political education to… pic.twitter.com/97Bb7wYhTt
— The Jewish Chronicle (@JewishChron) August 19, 2025
The Crown Heights community has come a long way. Today, they are united against hate. We won’t let a hateful fringe group hijack that unity with antisemitic vitriol, disguising as activism. We must stand against this vile attempt to reopen old wounds.https://t.co/cZEHl0d6pF
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) August 19, 2025
When it happened 34 yrs ago the rioters marched to kingston ave and president st from president and utica.
that night yaacov rosenbaum was stabbed at president and kingston and the crown hts riots began the next day. I will never forget it
Now because of the eruv;) we CARRY.
They arent trying anything like that these days.
We have come a long way since 1991.
yankel rosenbaum hy”d was staabbed to death on the corner of president st. and brooklyn ave.
not
kingston ave
That they denounce it
But they are too late
They have to force them to cancel it
This is why crown heights and Brooklyn as a whole is so messed up
You can’t force people to cancel these things. It’s a free country.
No cure for bad people unfortunately
totally agree with you !!!!!!!!!
we need to stop supporting people that hate us like Crystal Hudson and Senator Zellnor Myrie, both of them are actively campaigning for that Jew hater Mamdani
Assemb Brian Cunningham endorsed Mandami after Mandami won the primary.
NYS AG Letisha James endorsed Mandami before Mandami won the primary. ( Mandami was # 3 on her Mayoral Endorsements – her # 1 and # 2 endorsements did not have a chance)
City Councillwoman Crystal Hudson endorsed before Mandami won the primary.
Mandami still refuses to condemn the phrase “Globalize the intifada”, yet these leaders still endorse him.
Would these leaders have endorsed someone who refused to condemn the phrase “Globalize the Confederacy”.
Comment by
Jay Sorid
Surely an event like this should be stopped, not denounced, considering what it could trigger.
Is a strong voice,
Coming from the community –
Not just condemming these
Antisemitic statements,
But 1. To promote harmony and
Good faith amongst the jews
And non jews,
And
2. We need to demand from the police to do their job,
No more: ‘let them vent their anger’
Nonesense,
But rather only due diligence,
And zero tolerance
The incident with Gavin Cato could have had any driver of any background behind the wheel that day. The accident had zero to do with a Jewish person trying to purposely hurt someone. The driver actually tried helping, but was brutally and severely, verbally and physically attacked instead. The other Chabad passenger in the car was pulled and beaten by a mob reminiscent of pogroms. In the following days evil so-called leaders and thousands of very willing citizens perpetuated a modern day pogrom in Crown Heights, many being bussed in by despicable, evil so-called leaders; all while the mayor and… Read more »
If an individual carribean person hurt a jew (intentionally or accidentally) should we riot against the entire african American or carribean community? No,because thats racist just as this protest is antisemitic.
of Israel that I founded in 1993 to promulgate the Rebbe’s directives for Shleimus HaAretz was originally called Crown Heights Women; which I organized 2 weeks before the Pogrom when a series of gang shootings and a rapist named Ramane LaFond who would tragically murder Pesha Leah LaPine HY”D, was stalking Jewish women in our neighborhood. The police could have cared less. The narrative that only “outsiders” engaged in the Pogrom is false; we live on President between Utica and Rochester and witnessed our Black neighbors, men and WOMEN enthusiastically run like wild animals throught the neighborhood beginning at 2pm… Read more »
Women in East Flatbush are scared to walk at night on blocks near the shelters.
For the safety of the community, why won’t NYS Assemb Brian Cunningham, Sen Zellnor Myrie and the Jewish Future Alliance join Brooklyn CB 9 and the CHJCC in calling for a Community Impact Hearing with the NYS AG to make changes to Vital Brooklyn Kingsboro Psych? They all have ignored requests from the community.
demanding “justice”. Thank G-d it is not a large gathering. However, we the Jewish victims of the Pogrom who reside on President Street should have been notified and our opinion sought before granting these anti-semitic, racists permission to be there. Officer Barratta was extremely rude to me when I asked if the group had a sound permit – which is standard proceedure if using a sound system hooked up to electricity. He told me no and then basically laughed at me and told me to get out of the way. The self-appointed representative who does not represent our blocks and… Read more »
I heard the “Crown Heights Bites Back” group is distributing food without a license, in their bid to spread hate.
They should be fined and ticketed by the local police.
NYC street vendors targeted for lack of licenses despite City Hall promising otherwise – Gothamist
Jay S