A Sikh teenager was assaulted on a New York City bus over the weekend, attacked by an unknown assailant who tried to remove his turban and face mask, police said.
The incident happened Sunday morning aboard a city bus as the 19-year-old travelled through the borough of Queens, according to NBC News.
According to the police, the attacker, clad in a bright yellow jacket, approached the man and said, “We don’t wear that in this country and take that mask off!” before punching him in the head, face and back multiple times.
He also tried to remove the 19-year-old’s turban, before exiting the bus and fleeing on foot.
The unidentified victim suffered “minor laceration and pain” as a result of the attack, but refused medical treatment at the scene, police said.
Police are now seeking the man responsible, releasing surveillance images. They said that the attack is being treated as a suspected hate crime.
The suspect is described as between 25 and 35 years old, about five feet six inches tall, with a slim build, brown eyes and dark hair.
Witnesses or anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline.
New York’s Sikh Coalition, a faith-based organization, condemned the attack on Facebook, writing that it was “deeply disturbed” and was working to support the victim.
“As we stand alongside our allies from all communities, we will continue to insist that no one should have to fear for their personal safety while simply existing in public,” the organization said in a statement. “We thank allies from across all communities who have spoken out and urge vigilance for all given the current climate.”
The coalition also cited the fatal stabbing of a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy in a Chicago suburb — an attack that has been described as anti-Muslim.
FBI director Christopher Wray on Saturday said domestic threats have increased in the U.S. due to the “heightened environment” since the conflict in the Israel-Gaza region began.
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