Wessam Abuameir

Overview

Wessam Abuameir verbally assaulted Israel supporters, attempted to steal a woman’s Israeli flag and helped burn [00:03:00] an Israeli flag at a violent anti-Israel counterprotest in May 2021.

As of May 2023, Abuameir’s LinkedIn page said he was a Senior Data Engineer, with experience in the “Banking Domain & Pharmaceutical Domain,” working full-time as a “Big Data Developer” for CVS in Richardson, Texas since March 2020.

Also as of May 2023, Abuameir’s LinkedIn page said he received a bachelor’s degree in “Computer and Information Sciences, General” from Touro University in New York City, in 2016.

As of May 2022, Abuameir was listed on b2b.getemail.io as a Network Administrator for The Halal Guys Inc. restaurant franchise.

As of the same date, Abuameir used the handle “@wessamsamir__” on Instagram and his bio indicated that he was located in “NYC.”

May 20 - 21 2021 - Violent Protest

Abuameir verbally assaulted [00:36:14] Israel supporters, attempted [00:36:14] to steal an Israeli flag and helped burn [00:03:00] an Israeli flag at a violent counterprotest against a pro-Israel rally in Times Square.

During the counterprotest, anti-Israel activists stole rally-goers Israeli flags, forcibly moved police barricades, assaulted many of the Israel supporters and threw projectiles at the police and Israel supporters.

More than two dozen were arrested and Within Our Lifetime (WOL) offered to lend legal advice and support to them the following day.

After the anti-Israel activists breached [00:35:22] a barricade erected to separate the pro-Israel rally from the counterprotest, Abuameir was among anti-Israel activists who marched [00:35:36] toward the pro-Israel rally. The anti-Israel activists chanted and yelled at the pro-Israel side. Abuameir could be seen [00:36:14] in a YouTube video, wearing a black t-shirt, denim jeans and a blue and gray backpack while he repeatedly yelled verbally assaulted the Israel supporters.

After he crossed over to the pro-Israel side of the police barricade, Abuameir shouted [00:36:14] at one Israel supporter: “Free Palestine, b**ch!” He then attempted [00:36:27] unsuccessfully to steal a woman’s Israeli flag.

Abuameir then squared up to one Israel supporter, raised his fists and shouted [00:36:32]: “Wassup, b**ch! Wassup, b**ch! Wassap! Yeah! P**sy!”

Other anti-Israel activists managed to steal Israeli flags from some of the pro-Israel activists.

The anti-Israel activists then moved back to their side of the barrier, where they later chanted at the Israel supporters: “Nazis! Nazis!”

Abuameir then participated with other counterprotesters in burning [00:03:00] an Israeli flag in front of an American Eagles Outfitters store at the event.

After projectiles were thrown at police officers, police declared [00:03:25] the protest “unlawful” and demanded the crowd disperse or face charges of unlawful assembly.

The police then proceeded to arrest several anti-Israel activists who ignored police warnings while others, including Abuameir, fled [00:03:48] the scene. He could be seen on the far right of a YouTube video.

The anti-Israel activists threw garbage bags and chairs into the road in an attempt to create obstacles to law enforcement following after them on bicycles.

Also on May 20, 2021, anti-Israel activists from the counterprotest violently attacked and reportedly yelled anti-Semitic slurs at Joseph Borgen, a Jewish man who was heading to the pro-Israel rally. Police arrested two of the anti-Israel activists, charging them with assault as a hate crime, menacing as a hate crime and aggravated harassment as a hate crime. That same day, other anti-Israel activists also shot fireworks and spit at people.

On May 21, 2021, WOL posted two Instagram posts that offered legal support and advice to anyone arrested and portrayed the assailants as victims.

The counterprotest occurred during Israel’s Operation Guardian of the Walls (OGW) against Hamas in Gaza.

In May 2021, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists fired over 4,300 rockets from Gaza at major population centers in Israel. Israel responded by launching OGW, carrying out targeted military strikes in Gaza.