A number of hasidic Jews protested in Boro Park against the arrest on Sunday night. A crowd reportedly assembled outside Kornbluh's home after his address was shared on social media. One demonstrator announced into a megaphone "Good morning, Jacob, we're all waiting for you," in a video shared by Elad Nehorai, a Jewish writer in NY, on Twitter.
Someone on a bullhorn announces, “Good morning, Jacob, we’re all waiting for you” in a menacing tone. This video is truly sickening. This is a lynch mob. pic.twitter.com/c80AgQyKx3
— Elad Nehorai (@PopChassid) October 12, 2020
Videos of the arrest were posted on Tischler's Twitter account, with Tischler seen yelling to bystanders "Do you see what they're doing?"
In videos shared on WhatsApp, Tischler can be seen complaining about the timing to the officers who had come to arrest him. One says, “I don’t know what happened. This is above us.”
Tischler shouts, “They tricked me. They’re telling everybody that I’m supposed to be arrested tomorrow.” To the officer, he says, “You’re arresting me when we made a deal. We made a deal that I was supposed to be arrested tomorrow.”
Boris Epshteyn, an adviser to US President Donald Trump's election campaign, tweeted in support of Tischler, writing "Democrats Target Jews."Tischler was widely denounced by elected officials in New York this week after he cornered Kornbluh at a protest in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn on Wednesday night. In a video of the encounter, Tischler is seen screaming at Kornbluh as a mob falls in behind him. “Everybody scream moser,” Tischler yelled at Kornbluh, using a Jewish term for someone who informs on other Jews to secular authorities.
According to Yeshiva World News, people at the scene yelled in Yiddish “min darf eim hargenen” (We need to kill him).
In a tweet shortly after the incident, Kornbluh said he had been punched and kicked by the crowd and that he planned to file charges.
"I was just brutally assaulted, hit in the head, and kicked at by an angry crowd of hundreds of community members of the Boro Park protest — while yelling at me “Nazi” and “Hitler” —after Heshy Tischler recognized me and ordered the crowd to chase me down the street," tweeted Kornbluh
On Friday, Kornbluh spoke at a press conference organized by New York Jewish Agenda, a progressive Jewish organization.“I hope the investigation will come to a clear conclusion and send the message that everyone, including reporters on the job and every human life, is precious to all of us,” said Kornbluh. “Nobody should feel unsafe walking the streets of New York City.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the incident “unacceptable” and “disgusting.” Corey Johnson, head of the New York City Council, tweeted in support of Kornbluh. “The attack on @jacobkornbluh last night was horrifying and reprehensible. All those involved in this vile act must be held accountable,” he wrote.
Tischler had originally said that he would hand himself in on Monday morning. It was unclear why the NYPD moved to arrest him on Sunday night instead. Yeshiva World News reported that police were concerned about large crowds arriving at the precinct where Tischler planned to hand himself in and decided to move to prevent that.
Shira Hanau/JTA and Philissa Cramer/JTA contributed to this report.