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Edited by: Fern Sidman
A Central Park pedicab tour guide, Mactor Sarr, 33, has stirred controversy by posting anti-Israel messages on the back of his cab, prompting anger from New Yorkers and a backlash from city officials. According to a report at The New York Post, Sarr, a Harlem native who has worked as a pedicab guide in Central Park since 2012, displayed a handwritten sign accusing Israel of genocide, with statements such as, “Israel’s Genocide / 31K Killed (murdered) / 13K Babies Murdered – Starved / funded by U.S.A (You).” Sarr claims his mission is not to “offend anybody” but to voice his political stance in light of recent demonstrations in the city.
Mactor Sarr doesn’t want to offend anybody 🙄 pic.twitter.com/ZpuYZph6Pn
— The Real Caucasian ™️ (@th3r3alcasian) November 9, 2024
The inflammatory sign caught the attention of a Jewish Manhattanite named Laurie during her routine jog through Central Park on Tuesday. Laurie, who is 58 and asked The New York Post not to publish her last name for safety reasons, was “in shock” when she saw the sign. “I did not expect to see that on a pedicab, which services visitors to our city. I think it’s highly inappropriate and offensive,” she said, adding that the message “makes me feel terrible.”
When Laurie attempted to photograph the sign, Sarr was not present, but another pedicab driver approached her and allegedly asked if she was a “baby killer.” Laurie firmly responded, “I’m not a baby killer, but I am Jewish and a strong supporter of Israel.” She expressed her dismay to The New York Post, stating, “If you hate America so much and you feel that we’re doing the wrong thing, then please don’t be in America.”
Sarr explained to The New York Post that he decided to display the message in response to ongoing protests since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli civilians. He said that as the war continued, he wanted to share his perspective publicly and that posting the message on his pedicab was his way of amplifying his voice. Sarr charges $75 for a one-hour tour through Central Park and noted that he has received only one complaint, recounting an incident in which a passerby on a scooter warned his passenger by saying, “Hey, your driver supports Hamas.”
While Sarr insists that his message is not about “Jewish people” but rather the policies of Israel’s government, his actions have drawn condemnation from various quarters. Gerard Filitti, a senior attorney at The Lawfare Project, a legal think tank based in New York, told The New York Post that Sarr’s sign exemplifies “the pure hatred and misinformation that has fueled anti-Semitism across New York City.” Filitti emphasized that such messages contribute to a climate of hostility and fear for Jewish communities in the city.
City Councilman Kalman Yeger, a representative from a predominantly Jewish section of Brooklyn, also criticized the display, calling attention to the scourge of rapidly escalating anti-Semitism that has plagued New York City and beyond. Yeger expressed dismay to The New York Post, remarking, “Sadly, New York City has become such a vile cesspool of blood libel and anti-Semitism, even the pedicab guy participates in the hate.”
Sarr, meanwhile, maintains that his intent was not to provoke or offend but rather to express his political perspective. He emphasized to The New York Post that the sign was a form of protest against what he sees as U.S. support for Israel’s policies, though he acknowledged the backlash it has generated.
