Man arrested after bottle attack on Jewish students at University of Pittsburgh

A 52-year-old man was arrested Friday night for attacking two Jewish students with a bottle near the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

The students were walking across the street from Jarrett Buba when he ran up and assaulted them, according to the students' criminal complaint.

The students, who were wearing the traditional Jewish cap called a yarmulke, told police they made eye contact with Mr. Buba while they were walking, but thought nothing of it.

Mr. Buba, who was wearing a keffiyeh, which is a checkered scarf associated with Palestinians, then struck the students from behind.

One of the students had cuts on his face and the other was bleeding from cuts on his neck, but they were able to subdue Mr. Buba until police arrived. Officers arrested him after a brief struggle. Police said he falsely identified himself before revealing his name.

He faces two counts of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and harassment, among other charges.

The university noted that the assailant had no affiliation with the school.

“While there is not believed to be any ongoing threat to the public stemming from this incident, we recognize that incidents like these are unsettling to our Pitt community,” the university said in a statement. “To be clear: Neither acts of violence nor antisemitism will be tolerated.”

The attack comes after a string a pro-Palestinian protests on campus earlier this year.