Vancouver police investigate protest assault as hate crime [Video]

Vancouver police say they have arrested a youth after “a conflict between protesters” outside the Vancouver Art Gallery Sunday night.

In a statement Tuesday, the Vancouver Police Department said “violence broke out between groups of protesters with opposing views about the war between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah.”

During the incident, a 34-year-old woman was knocked down, assaulted and “subjected to antisemitic slurs,” police said.

The woman sustained injuries that required treatment in hospital, according to the VPD, which said it is investigating the incident as a hate crime.

Police said the suspect – described in the statement only as “a youth” – fled into the crowd after the assault, but was later arrested.

The suspect has since been released and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

“We don’t expect everyone to agree, but we do expect them to treat each other with dignity and respect,” said Sgt. Steve Addison, in …