A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge has ruled that two protesters involved in a violent antisemitic attack outside a Los Angeles restaurant in May 2021 must pay $1.6 million in damages to the victim, Mher Hagopian. The attack, captured on video, showed a group of individuals yelling antisemitic profanities, throwing objects, and physically assaulting diners at Sushi Fumi restaurant. Hagopian, who is not Jewish, protected his Jewish friends and other diners from the mob, suffering severe physical and emotional harm in the process. The court awarded punitive damages due to the egregious nature of the attack, including explicit antisemitic hate speech exchanged via text messages. The defendants’ messages included statements expressing pleasure in attacking Jews and seeking out Jewish individuals to harm. Two such texts say, “I never got to hit a Jew before so I’m Kinda Happy;” and “I need a blunt and then we go find Jews…” Hagopian’s legal team, led by Glaser Weil Associate Simon Moradzadeh, represented him pro bono, citing the importance of standing against hate crimes. Co-counsel Benny Khorsandi and Michael Yadegaran also praised Hagopian’s bravery, calling him a hero for risking his safety to protect others. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)