Manhattan public defender Victoria Ruiz resigns after caught tearing down posters of kidnapped Israelis

[Jose Garcia]

Source: 1010 WINS Radio

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The Manhattan public defender who was captured on camera tearing down posters of hostages kidnapped during Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel, has resigned, a representative for the New York County Defender Services told 1010 WINS exclusively Tuesday.

Ruiz's colleagues were informed Tuesday in a memo by NYCDS executive director Stan Germán, sources said, adding that the incident had polarized the staff. The decision to leave was her own, sources said.

1010 WINS has reached out to Ruiz for comment on her resignation.

In the video, posted by the non-partisan StopAntisemitism X account, Ruiz is spotted smirking tearing down posters, while someone asks, "Why are you taking down pictures of missing children? Why are you taking down pictures of babies?" Ruiz never answers and instead walks away and smirks.

Read more: https://www.audacy.com/1010wins/news/local/ny-lawyer-victoria-ruiz-resigns-after-israel-poster-incident

[Wingus Dingus]

1. What a lunatic.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. A public defender!

And vicariously attacking innocent victims.

[jimfields33]

3. I think they need to do a scrub on her cases

Specially did she give her full attention to Jewish clients?

[3Hotdogs]

7. .

Last edited Wed Nov 8, 2023, 12:34 AM - Edit history (1)

[oldsoftie]

13. They keep the victims in the public eye. They spread awareness.

And not liking it doesnt give you the right to rip them down. She's a real POS

[3Hotdogs]

38. And after seeing street furniture defaced with these eyesores, the citizens of Maplewood, N.J., where I live....

they are going to see the poster that's on the corner of Maplewood Avenue and Baker St and be inspired to go to Israel and join with Israeli M.I.G.A. (Make Israel Great Again) commandos and rescue the guy who's photo is on the poster?

[oldsoftie]

39. Actually, some HAVE gone to Israel to help them cripple Hamas. So yes.

[lapucelle]

27. ..

Link to tweet

?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

[yagotme]

4. What kind of hate must these people have hidden all this while

to do something so childish and foolish as to tear down these posters. THESE people must truly back Hamas.

[yardwork]

5. Honestly, this kind of behavior is why some people vote Republican.

I'm sure she meant well. Her actions, however, were stupid. If we want to do good in the world we have to be a lot more strategic than this. This just plays into the right wing's hands.

Same with violent protests that kill people.

[EX500rider]

8. "I'm sure she meant well." I don't think she meant well

[yardwork]

9. Reading her (poor) apology, I think I understand her reasoning.

I don't agree with it, but it appears that she believes that the posters with photos of Israeli children are being used to justify killing Palestinian children. I haven't seen the posters so I don't know, but I imagine that this is what she believes.

I doubt she's a cold blooded monster. I think she's just misguided and her behavior was foolish.

[Beastly Boy]

17. If that's her reasoning, I don't understand it.

[yardwork]

22. It would be helpful to try to understand the pro-Palestinian protesters reasoning.

IMO. It's easy to call the other side names and assume that they're sociopaths - we're seeing a lot of that - and that just escalates dehumanization and perpetuates violence.

I think I've been clear in my disapproval and negative opinion of these actions. I don't agree that everybody doing these things is evil and sociopathic.

[Beastly Boy]

24. I am not questioning your post, I am questioning her reasoning.

How can concern for hostages possibly be construed as justification for killing children?

I am more inclined to ascribe her motivation to personal reasons: she has family in the West Bank, and she is doing everything her position allows her to do to protect her family.

This is something I can understand and relate to. Whether it affects her standing as a US lawmaker is a whole different issue, but if I were her, concerns for my family would come first, and I would be willing to pay the price for it.

[yardwork]

26. So, like me, you think she "means well?"

Is she a U.S. lawmaker? I thought she was in the public defender's office. I hadn't read that she has family in the West Bank. Her last name is Hispanic.

Are we talking about two different people?

[Beastly Boy]

31. As a protector of her family, yes. As a US Congresswoman, no.

[yardwork]

32. We're talking about two different people.

[Beastly Boy]

37. My mistake. We are. At some point I sent my reply to the wrong thread.

My last two posts were meant for Rashida Tlaib.

Getting back to Victoria Ruiz, I know nothing of her family or her record, and thus I can only judge her by the acts being described in the OP. In her case, no, I cannot imagine any possibility of good intentions behind her conduct.

[Whatthe_Firetruck]

20. Does not explain...

... Why she was smirking.

[RandomNumbers]

28. If that's her thinking, it is immature and broad-brushing

I mean, really?? We are so awful that when we care about Israeli children (and other innocents), a significant number of us then justify killing other children?? (I know some DO, and it is sick. But thinking all do, is also sick.)

Someone who would think that must really hate humanity.

[yardwork]

29. Immature, broadbrushing, overreacting, etc. - agreed.

But I can't agree that, all by itself, it means she hates humanity. Like many zealots, she is convinced that she is right and "the opposition" is wrong. To her mind, any actions are justified to obtain what she perceives to be a heroic goal.

The reason I'm making s big deal out of this is because this thinking is common, at least in the U.S. right now. I'm reasonably sure she considers herself to be very progressive. But her thinking and actions are similar to those who attacked the Capitol on Jan 6. It's the thinking of people who vote for Trump.

[Skittles]

10. sorry, how did she "mean well"

[yardwork]

11. See my response above.

[Skittles]

12. ?

still don't understand

[yardwork]

16. See my response below, then.

[oldsoftie]

14. HOW did she "mean well"?? Please, this should be good

What, cleaning poles of litter?

[yardwork]

15. I'm surprised that this is a mystery.

In the article at the link is a half-assed apology she gave, in which she justified tearing down the posters because she believed the posters were justifying the murder of Palestinian children.

This is the reason being given at every pro-Palestinian rally and even here on DU: that Israel is using the attacks by Hamas to justify killing Palestinian civilians. I don't agree with it, but it's a very widely held opinion.

[Beastly Boy]

18. I often find widely held opinions repulsive.

[yardwork]

21. I agree that it's repulsive.

[Skittles]

19. uh huh

sure

[yardwork]

23. Ok, please say more. You don't believe her explanation?

Why do you think she tore down posters of children who are being held hostage?

[lapucelle]

6. "I apologize to anyone who was hurt or confused by my actions."

No one was confused, dear. The word you're looking for is "disgusted".

[FakeNoose]

25. She needs to find another line of work

... and I hope that her resignation was dictated by her boss.

[maxsolomon]

30. Interestingly, Public Defenders in some cities are in private firms that get subsidized,

not county employees. Maybe Ruiz would have been safer in that situation.

Tearing down the kidnapped Israeli posters has been a pretty common occurrence all over - the US, Europe. I think they're seen as Israeli propaganda by Palestinian activists and sympathizers.

If you're a govt employee, though, word to the wise: stay out of it.

[EllieBC]

33. Yes there are plenty of antisemites

in the US tearing down the posters. I am for all of them being exposed and then they can reap the consequences of their “protest.”

[maxsolomon]

34. There are plenty of Palestinian sympathizers in the US

who don't consider themselves Antisemites. Maybe even the poster vandalizers.

[EllieBC]

35. What exactly would make one think

tearing down posters of kidnapped Israelis is not antisemitic?

I mean except for being Jew haters who masks have slid off.

[maxsolomon]

36. IDK. I just know there's a lot of people with half-formed ideas about I/P

who are very upset right now. I live with one, and I wouldn't say she's an antisemite. she doesn't think she is. yet any word I say in defense of Israeli actions in the wake of 10/7 (most of which I consider unavoidable) is taken as a betrayal of the righteous anti-colonial cause of the downtrodden.

I don't know the motives of the poster vandals, but I know they are pretty dedicated to taking them down as fast as they go up. I'd assume most are Muslims, but obviously not all.

i'd actually like to hear their rationalizations, because it's really easy to label it as antisemitism.

[JustAnotherGen]

40. Good

She's not fit to serve the public.

[PatrickforB]

41. This is why the far left (anarchist/Marxists) have not accomplished much of anything these last 50 years.

They have carefully cultivated a tacit rule never to question tactics of radical anarchist groups, like Hamas.

This is why these misguided kids at some of our colleges are celebrating Hamas and threatening Jewish students.

They never question tactics when they should. Hamas are a bunch of dirtbags, and the far left is stupid for celebrating them. And I'm pretty far to the left as all of you know, but I DO question tactics, especially terrorist ones.

[iemanja]

42. I don't understand doing that

I'm sympathetic to Palestinian civilians, but I don't understand belittling or trying to erase the hostages. Injustice is injustice, regardless of the side.