Robert Josman, the president of the 24th Precinct Community Council, a community group that works to foster good relations between the residents and the NYPD, in New York City's Upper West Side, has been filmed tearing down posters of the Israeli hostages held captive by the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza, the New York Post reported.

Josman was first seen removing the hostage posters in October. At the time, he told the civilians who confronted him over his actions that posting anything on city property was illegal. However, he was not seen removing any other signs or posters, only the ones drawing attention to the plight of the Israeli hostages.

This month, he was seen again removing hostage posters.

The incidents have sparked a campaign to remove Josman from his position as president of the Community Council. A coalition of residents of the Upper West Side wrote in a letter to Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, “Mr. Josman — whose role is to foster community and police cooperation — has directly undermined his own role by demonstrating overt hatred toward an ethnic group within the city community."

“This selective enforcement to address only the hostage posters while leaving other signage intact makes plain that Mr. Josman is not focused on protecting lampposts, but is instead determined to inflict hatred by spiting the Jewish and Israeli communities in his neighborhood." the residents wrote.

In November 2024, an employee of the office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams was filmed tearing down the posters of Israeli hostages and assaulting one of the civilians who confronted her about her actions.

The city employee, Nallah Sutherland, a special event coordinator for the Mayor’s Office of Special Projects and Community Events, was suspended from her position following the incident.