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Punched in the Face for Speaking Turkish in LA: As part of a spate of malicious attacks against Turkish Americans coinciding with the October 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a group of diners was verbally accosted at a restaurant in Beverly Hills, California for no other reason than they were speaking Turkish. Then, without provocation one of the accosters punched a Turkish American diner in the face, injuring him. The assailant and his accomplice fled. The Beverly Hills Police Department quickly identified the assailant, Hakob Navasardyan, and arrested him. TALDF attorneys worked with the victim, Mr. Umit Bozer, and his companions to make sure that the ensuing police investigation was thorough and that appropriate charges would be filed. TALDF then closely followed the criminal proceedings and ensured that Mr. Bozer and his companions were fully informed of and understood them. Gratifyingly, Navasardyan eventually pleaded guilty to criminal charges from this incident. Now, TALDF has teamed with local attorney, William DeClercq, to bring a civil suit against Navasardyan on behalf of Turkish American Umit Bozer. TALDF and Mr. Bozer would like a clear message to be sent: Turkish Americans have no fewer rights than all other Americans, which includes the right to peacefully and without fear enjoy the company of one’s friends and business associates at a restaurant and the right to speak one’s native language. The attack on Mr. Bozer and his companions was not even motivated by what they were saying; the mere fact that they were speaking Turkish was enough to enrage Navasardyan and his accomplice. Such bigotry and narrow-mindedness calls to mind the worst days of the Jim Crow South when skin color alone could cause one to be ejected from a restaurant, denied a seat on a public bus, or worse, hung from a tree. Mr. Bozer’s lawsuit is a reminder that that blind hatred and intolerance deserves a swift and firm response. |