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NYC’s Greenwich Village Pride Demonstrations Lead To Eight Arrested, Vendor Assaulted

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A hotdog cart vendor was reportedly assaulted by demonstrators during a Pride parade and eight others were arrested after clashing with police in Greenwich Village, New York, Fox News reported.

An unnamed 65-year-old hotdog cart vendor drew attention on Twitter after video emerged of the man reportedly being beaten and surrounded by attendees of the Pride parade in Washing Square Park, the New York Police Department (NYPD) said, Fox News reported. The alleged assault occurred alongside multiple clashes between demonstrators and local police, resulting in the use of pepper spray on one occasion.

The clashes, which developed from small pockets of the larger Pride parade, got rowdier when police began using pepper spray to control parts of the raucous crowd, the New York Post reported. Video of the assault shows the vendor in a bright yellow shirt being assaulted by a large group of demonstrators.

#BreakingNews
Video of the food cart worker who was injured. Onlookers say he made a hateful slur to someone from the #LGBTQ community on #pride at Washington Square Park in NYC #NYC #PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/Z7ttYA6Kay

— Leeroy Johnson (@LeeroyPress) June 28, 2021

The NYPD told Fox News that the conflict between the unidentified cart owner and protesters arose from inflated item prices, while videographer Leeroy Johnson, who captured the incident, claimed it was due to the owner’s purported use of an anti-LGBTQ slur.

#BreakingNews
Food cart workers were hit after they made a hateful slur to a member of the LGBTQ community at Washington Square Park in NYC on #pride
For licensing email [email protected] #PrideMonth #BREAKING #NYC pic.twitter.com/3PNJ7e6F2Z

— Leeroy Johnson (@LeeroyPress) June 28, 2021

Police have yet to charge anyone involved directly in the assault, but have made other arrests for various misconduct, including a woman who reportedly bit a NYPD lieutenant, two men who attempted to stop police apprehensions, a woman who allegedly threw water bottles at officers and a man who aggressively slapped an officer in the arms, Fox reported.

Police later found the phrase “White ppl are cancelled” sprayed in the center of Washington Square Park, according to Fox.

The New York Police Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.