New York lawyer apologises for ripping down posters of kidnapped children

A New York lawyer has apologised for ripping down posters of babies and children taken hostage by Hamas.

In a video shared by the group StopAntisemitism, public defender Victoria Ruiz can be seen taking down the posters with the headline ‘Kidnapped’ from a street pole.

During the video, someone filming Ruiz repeatedly questions her about why she is removing pictures of missing children, to which Ruiz does not respond and walks away.

StopAntisemitism expressed its disapproval on Twitter, saying: “New York County public defender Victoria Ruiz caught removing posters of Israeli children kidnapped by Hamas terrorists. It is absolutely unacceptable for someone with such bias and hate to serve in your office @nyc_defenders.”

New York County Defender Services, Ruiz’s employer, described her actions as “highly insensitive.”

A spokesperson for the law firm stated: “It has come to our attention that one of our attorneys, Victoria Ruiz, recently attended a public vigil solely in her capacity as a private citizen. Some of her actions at the event have drawn sharp criticism, and we strongly condemn them as highly insensitive.”