Viral Video Sparks Controversy and Job Loss for Wall Street Banker
In a shocking case of hate speech caught on camera, a Wall Street analyst has been fired from his job at Freepoint Commodities after a video emerged of him telling a Jewish American to “go back to your country.” The incident took place last Thursday at the intersection of 68th Street and Riverside Boulevard and has since gone viral, garnering over 6.5 million views.
The man, identified as Kurush Mistry, was seen in the video with his partner, Shailja Gupta. Both were covering posters of hostages with signs accusing Israel of being an “apartheid state” and committing “genocide.” When confronted by a man asking for their names and if they were proud of their actions, Mistry and Gupta responded with hostility, flipping their middle fingers and telling the man to “f off.”
Update: Kurush Mistry was fired from his oil analyst role at @freepointglobal. pic.twitter.com/NKROdTxzEH
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) November 12, 2023
Mistry, a nine-year employee at Freepoint Commodities, has been identified by several sources as the man in the video. He had also previously worked at Morgan Stanley, Barclays, and Lehman Brothers. However, the company has released a statement saying that Mistry is “no longer associated with Freepoint.” The company also stated that they do not tolerate discrimination and hate speech directed against any group.
In the video, Mistry and Gupta can be seen holding up a flyer that read “Israel is an apartheid state and commits genocide.” It is not clear if the couple was affiliated with any organization or if they created the flyer themselves. The confrontation escalated when the man filming asked if they were “real proud” of covering the posters of hostages still held by Hamas terrorists. Mistry responded by telling the man to “go live in Israel” and “go back to your own country,” despite the fact that the man identified himself as an American and a Jew.
Gupta, who was also recording the incident, can be heard calling the man an “uneducated prick” when he corrects her statement that Palestine is not a country. She also accuses Israelis of being “rapists” and claims to have proof of it. The couple’s behavior has sparked outrage and condemnation, with many calling their actions anti-Semitic and discriminatory.
@Shailja Indian immigrant from Kolkata in US & her Indian immigrant husband,IIMA grad @kurushmistry abuse a Jewish man in Manhattan.
Hopefully he & his wife Shailja Gupta (Tu jaanta hai mera baap kaun hai)will get a sense of what it means to be wretched lowlifes filled with hate. pic.twitter.com/mED1clge4J— Bharat Iyer (@EkBharatvarsh) November 12, 2023
On Wednesday, Mistry refused to speak with reporters waiting outside his luxury apartment building. The doorman stated that he didn’t let them in and “didn’t have to be yelled at.” Neighbors in the area were shocked by the incident and expressed their disbelief. One woman walking her dog stated that she did not know the man but would not want to associate with him. Another resident, a legal fundraiser, called the situation “unbelievable” and said that he feels safe in the neighborhood. He added that Tuesday’s March for Israel in Washington DC gives him hope that people like Mistry are part of only a few bad apples.
The incident has caused an uproar on social media, with many calling for action against discrimination and hate speech. It serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up against any form of discrimination and promoting tolerance and acceptance.
