Two Men Accused of Hate Crimes Indicted For Alleged Attack at Beverly Hills Restaurant | Eater LA

"In November, two men were indicted by a federal grand jury after allegedly assaulting and threatening staff at a Beverly Hills restaurant; prosecutors say they shouted anti-Turkish slurs, made pro-Armenia statements to employees, damaged property inside the establishment, and physically attacked workers. The indictment accuses the defendants of conspiracy and hate crimes and alleges one sent a text saying he wanted to go “hunting for [T]urks.” Both men reportedly attended a rally at the Turkish consulate after visiting the restaurant, and authorities link the incident to demonstrations at the consulate amid heightened tensions over the escalated conflict between Azerbaijan and the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The episode occurred in a city with one of the largest Armenian populations in the country and came as thousands of protesters demonstrated against Turkey’s support of Azerbaijan; it also coincided with recent national-level developments, including President Biden’s formal recognition of the World War I-era killings of Armenians as a genocide." - Mona Holmes