Hate crimes in New York City reportedly increased 67% in the first quarter of the year, with anti-Semitic incidents spiking 82%.
According to CBS New York, crimes based on sexual orientation are also on the rise.
The NYPD reported hate crimes were up 67% from January through April, with 145 incidents, compared to 87 in the first four months of 2018. Of those, 82 of the 2019 incidents were anti-Semitic, an 82% surge.
Evan Bernstein of the ADL told CBS New York he blamed the Internet for the increase in hate crimes, saying people are using online platforms "to rile themselves up, and also to get their messaging out to other people to get them riled up."
ADL data released earlier in the week showed anti-Semitic incidents have doubled since 2015 in New York, although the number was down slightly from 2017. The organization recorded 1,879 anti-Semitic incidents in 2018.
"No one should ever have to live in fear of being violently attacked, physically harmed or verbally harassed simply because of their culture or faith,” Bernstein told Haaretz.
“We must continue to denounce these horrific attacks and work together to create safe communities for all New Yorkers.”
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