New York Assemblyman Arrested for Protesting Iran Deal Outside U.S. Senator's Office

New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind was arrested for “disorderly conduct” while protesting outside U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer’s office in Manhattan on Thursday.

The NYPD says a total of eight protesters were arrested, including three men and five women.

Police would not confirm that Hikind was among them. However, a photo on his Twitter account shows him being handcuffed. And his spokesperson says he was taken into Manhattan Central Booking.

Schumer and the other protesters were demanding that Sen. Schumer oppose the Obama administration’s deal with Iran regarding its nuclear capabilities, which is currently up for a 60-day congressional review. (Although the president has said he’ll veto any attempt by Congress to block it.)

According to the office of Assemblyman Hikind, he was arrested while chanting “Chuck the deal!” outside Sen. Schumer’s Manhattan headquarters.

“We’re pleading with Senator Schumer to step up and lead this fight,” Hikind says in a pre-released statement. “Schumer’s voice is critical, with other senators looking towards him to take a stance. I see millions of people in Iran chanting ‘Death to America, Death to Israel’ and we’re negotiating with this regime? It’s insane.”

Hikind is known as a bit of a rabble-rouser, especially when it comes to issues dear to his Hasidic constituency in Borough Park.

But he’s not the only one angry about Schumer’s position on Iran. Thursday afternoon’s small protest on 3rd Avenue was a mini followup to a massive “Stop Iran Now” rally on Wednesday night in Times Square that drew around 10,000 supporters.

The New York Post also took aim at Schumer on Wednesday’s front page. “Where’s Chuck? Senator hides from Post’s Iran questions,” reads the quarter-page headline. (The rest of the page is consumed by a story about the ex-Hasidic woman from Hikind’s district who committed suicide off a Manhattan rooftop. Photo above.)

Schumer’s spokesperson, Marisa Kaufman, says in a statement sent to Patch:

“We spoke yesterday with Assemblyman Hikind and let him know our door is always open for when he wants to have a conversation about this or any other issue. Senator Schumer has read the agreement and is meeting with experts on both sides to get answers to the many questions he has.”

And in regard to his position on the Iran deal, Schumer says in a statement:

“I’ve read the agreement and I’m seeking answers to the many questions I have. Before I make a decision, I’m going to speak at length with experts on both sides.”