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Peter Christos, a staffer at the Conservative youth group Turning Point USA, was allegedly attacked by "pro-Hamas supporters" in Skokie, Illinois, over the weekend.
In an emailed statement on Tuesday, October 24, Skokie police told Newsweek that on Sunday, October 22, a pro-Israel rally was being held on Touhy Avenue in the Chicago suburb when 200 pro-Palestine protesters showed up for a counter-demonstration.
Shortly after, an altercation broke out at the scene, where a TPUSA staffer was caught in the violence. Charlie Kirk, the founder of TPUSA, alleged one of the group's staffers, Peter Christos, was attacked by a mob of pro-Palestine protesters when he was allegedly trying to help an elderly Jewish couple to their car.
A video circulating on social media depicting a violent altercation showed Christos being chased by a group of people before he was beaten repeatedly while lying on the ground.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Christos identified himself as one of the two Turning Point USA staffers allegedly attacked at a pro-Israel rally.
“Yesterday in Skokie, myself & @TPUSA coworker were violently attacked by Pro-Hamas protestors while trying to escort a lost, elderly Jewish couple to the Pro-Israel event. I was punched repeatedly, kicked in the head, and hit with a flagpole.”
Turning Point USA staffer Peter Christos' attack video sparks backlash
Peter Christos, an Illinois, Missouri native, is an NW Indiana High School Rep for TPUSA, a conservative youth organization whose goal “is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote freedom.”
A video circulating on social media depicting a violent altercation at a pro-Israel rally where a group of Palestinian protesters allegedly attacked Turning Point USA staffer Peter Christos has sparked outrage online.
The incident prompted Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk to demand that those involved in the attack be charged with hate crimes. Kirk alleged that Chrsitos was attacked when he was escorting an elderly Jewish couple to safety after Palestinian supporters showed up at the scene.
“On the way to their cars, they encountered pro-Hamas supporters who assaulted them, punched them repeatedly, and hit them with a flag pole before cops could pull them away to safety. All of these thugs need to be arrested and charged with hate crimes.”
Several others also called for the arrest of those responsible for the attack.
According to NBC5 Chicago, the incident was one of many that occurred at the Skokie rally after members of the crowd confronted an individual who then brandished a weapon and shot a warning shot in the air. The unidentified individual was reportedly arrested. Police said that a pro-Palestine protestor was also arrested for assaulting people with pepper spray.
The incident comes amid Israel's intensifying raids against Gaza after Hamas launched a surprise attack, killing hundreds of Israelis earlier this month. The Israel-Hamas conflict has claimed 1,400 people in Israel and over 5000 lives in Gaza.
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