A man infamous for his hatred of Israel and known for walking dogs on the Upper West Side has been terrorizing the neighborhood by tearing down Israeli hostage posters and reportedly assaulting those who confront him, according to a report by The NY Post.
Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel, Mackenzie Watson, nicknamed “MackNazi” by many locals, has launched a relentless campaign against individuals putting up hostage flyers or removing pro-Palestine stickers, based on court filings and accounts from alleged victims.
“He really just hates Jews,” said a 48-year-old Upper West Side resident, who claims that Watson has had negative encounters with at least 100 people in the area.
The resident described his behavior, saying, “He’ll sometimes walk the streets with four dogs, which he hooks to his waist, and uses both hands to pull off the stickers at every corner.” She noted that his focus on removing posters often seems to take precedence over tending to the dogs.
In June, Watson targeted a 15-year-old girl and her 56-year-old mother after the teenager removed one of his “antisemitic” stop-genocide stickers from a lamp post, the mother recounted. She said Watson followed them for five blocks, yelling vile insults about hostages and dead babies as they tried to escape.
Later, they discovered they were far from his only victims.
In April, Watson reportedly confronted a 45-year-old woman posting stickers to highlight the plight of Israeli and American hostages held by Hamas. He pushed his phone in her face and shouted profanities against Zionists. Fearing for her safety, the woman now carries pepper spray. “I shouldn’t have to live this way,” she said.
In November 2023, Joseph Goodrich, 32, was assaulted by Watson after attempting to stop him from ripping down hostage posters. Watson shoved Goodrich to the ground, punched him, and dislocated his shoulder. Goodrich subsequently filed a criminal complaint.
Watson faced assault charges but received a light sentence: conditional discharge on a lesser harassment charge if he completed anger management and stayed out of trouble for a year.
However, within two months, Watson violated the agreement and was arrested for allegedly attacking a 59-year-old man who intervened when Watson was arguing with a woman over a hostage poster. The NYPD confirmed charges of assault and harassment, and prosecutors sought to revoke the conditional discharge from the earlier case.
When approached for comment, Watson responded by saying, “There’s a genocide going on, and that’s what we should be concerned about.”
Watson is one of many New Yorkers who have faced criticism for tearing down Israeli hostage posters and related materials since Hamas’ attack over a year ago.
{Matzav.com Israel}
What a disgusting piece of garbage!!!