New York police arrested conservative Brooklyn Councilwoman Inna Vernikov on Friday after allegedly openly carrying a gun when she was at a pro-Palestine protest at Brooklyn College.
The lawmaker, who represents southern Brooklyn neighborhoods including Brighton Breach and Sheepshead Bay, turned herself in at the 70th Precinct with her lawyer shortly before 3:00 a.m. In a statement, police said that Vernikov had a license to carry a gun and surrendered her firearm and her permit to authorities.
Republican Arrested for Openly Carrying Gun to Protest
A police spokeswoman said that Vernikov was allegedly observing a pro-Palestine protest when she was seen carrying a gun in her waistband. This issue comes as New York only issues permits to carry concealed firearms, which means that openly carrying a firearm is not allowed under the law.
Last year, a state law was passed that prohibits people from carrying guns in "sensitive locations," a category that includes protests and rallies. The police noted that no one was "menaced or injured" as a result of the Republican's possession of the gun at the protest, as per the New York Times.
Vernikov's arrest comes as she previously expressed opposition to the Brooklyn College rally before it was staged. The City Council's Republican minority leader, Joseph Borelli, said that the councilwoman had been issued a desk appearance ticket that requires her to appear in court at a late date.
During an interview, Borelli said that there is a responsibility that comes with owning a firearm and noted that Vernikov will have to address the charges against her with the court. He added that he knows that the lawmaker is apologetic about what had happened.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul responded to the news of Vernikov getting arrested on X, formerly known as Twitter. She said that the region's gun safety laws apply to everyone, including lawmakers.
Pro-Palestine Rallies
Vernikov is Jewish and has vocally expressed her support of Israel amid the Middle Eastern country's war against Hamas militant forces. In a statement, she claimed that the Brooklyn College rally would make the City University of New York campuses unsafe, according to ABC7NY.
On Thursday, the councilwoman posted a video where she said that if anyone was at the rally at Brooklyn College standing with the people who support Palestine, they were nothing short of a terrorist without the bombs.
Now, Vernikov's arrest is being referred to the City Council's Standards and Ethics Committee, which she is a member of, for potential disciplinary action. Additionally, the Democrat running against the conservative Republican in the Council elections next month, Amber Adler, has called on the council to vote to expel Vernikov from office.
In the video that Vernikov posted on X, she noted that there were a lot of police present at the rally at Brooklyn College. She also said that they made efforts to make sure that Jewish students could feel safe in the area.
The 39-year-old councilwoman claimed that the protesters wanted to globalize intifada and bring the terror of what Israeli people are experiencing to New York City, said Fox News.
Related Article : Joe Biden Urged to Act Against Pro-Hamas Protests in Colleges
