The shooting took place on Thursday in Marble Hill. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said an ICE agent fired seven rounds at the man’s vehicle, hitting him in the neck, while the child was unharmed. ICE claimed the driver had rammed two agency vehicles and accelerated towards officers. The Bronx District Attorney’s Office is investigating the incident.

Hundreds of Jewish protesters gathered in the area, with one group rallying against antisemitism while Orthodox Jewish anti-Zionist demonstrators held a separate protest.

Footage showed arguments and gestures being exchanged across police barricades, while some demonstrators confronted each other at close range.

NYPD officers moved between the rival groups as pro-Israel protesters carried signs reading 'End global antisemitism now' and 'Stop antisemitism now'.

On the other side, Orthodox Jewish anti-Zionist protesters displayed posters featuring Netanyahu and the words ‘Wanted for crimes against humanity’, alongside other anti-Zionist messages.

Protesters Raise Antisemitism Concerns

"Of course there is a rise in anti-Semitism. You only have to look at all the figures," said protester Marilyn, arguing that Jewish community members no longer felt safe on the streets.

"I live in New Jersey. I've had cars stop and say obscenities to me, and people are being attacked for wearing a Star of David. Of course, there's a tremendous rise in anti-Semitism, and our mayor in New York is fanning the flames," she claimed.

Another pro-Israel demonstrator, Ben Akselrod, called on New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to release his administration's promised plan to tackle antisemitism.

"As previously promised to release a report on how to combat anti-Semitism. And he said he would release it before the High Holidays. It is now after the High Holidays. I appreciate that he often says New York should be a place for all New Yorkers, including Jewish New Yorkers. But you have to do more than just rhetoric. I want to see the plan for how things work."

Akselrod said antisemitism had been increasing for years and argued that the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and the war that followed had accelerated the problem.

Mamdani said on September 9 that confirmed hate crimes across New York City had risen 16 percent during the first eight months of 2026, while antisemitic hate crimes were up 9 percent.

Netanyahu Visit Raises Security Tensions

Security around the UN has been tightened as Netanyahu visits New York for the General Assembly.

Mamdani had previously pledged during his mayoral campaign to seek Netanyahu's arrest over the International Criminal Court warrant against the Israeli leader.

In July, however, Mamdani acknowledged that New York City did not have the independent legal authority to enforce the ICC warrant.

Mamdani has previously criticised Netanyahu over the war in Gaza and explored whether New York could enforce an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him, before acknowledging that the city lacked that authority. The Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, has since called for Mamdani’s arrest, while protests are expected in New York as the UN General Assembly opens its 81st session on 22 September.

Financial records became more useful once investigators knew who they were looking for. Bank accounts, ATM withdrawals and payments helped investigators identify addresses, locations and connections. After the attacks, the USA PATRIOT Act expanded requirements for identifying customers and sharing financial information, while the Financial Action Task Force expanded its work on terrorist financing. Attempts to create a financial profile that could identify future terrorists, however, failed because ordinary activities such as paying tuition, travelling or receiving international transfers could not reliably distinguish a suspect from anyone else.

For fans who could not make it to the stadium, some businesses across New York City afforded them the opportunity to experience the tournament in a near stadium-like atmosphere: space permitting. Restaurants, stores, community centres, and even barbershops across New York City opened up their doors to fans to watch their national teams play even if they had no plans of making any purchases. 

In Brooklyn’s Prospect Park neighbourhood, the Bantama African and Caribbean market on East 21st Street provided such an environment for Ghanaians living nearby to gather to watch all the matches. 

The Guatemalan-owned IX restaurant on Lincoln Road in Prospect Park also opened its doors to fans. But IX did not just provide a viewing experience, the owners went all out to decorate the space with, among others, flags of the competing nations. 

Chef and owner of IX, Jorge Cardenas, said the restaurant sought to create an atmosphere of unity where fans from across the world could gather to dine and indulge in their passion for football. He said they also made snacks from across the world to make the experience a truly international one for football fans. 

Video features: Jorge Cardenas, Chef and Owner of IX Restaurant

About author

Nii Akrofi Smart-Abbey is an award-winning international journalist, writer, and host of the A55 Podcast. Nii Akrofi has worked with local and international media in Ghana, Congo and the United States . He has contributed to news platforms like Zenger News, Africanews, W42ndST, and foreignpresscorrespondents.com.