A five-year-old girl was called a terrorist by Trump supporters in Los Angeles on Sunday. The expletive-laden altercation was filmed by the girl’s cousin and has been watched online more than 3.7 million times.
Three Trump supporters are seen having a confrontation with a Palestinian-American woman, a teenage boy and the five-year-old on a street, in a video shared by the child’s cousin, Rania, on Facebook and Twitter.
The incident took place after a protest demonstrating against President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The girl, named Talia, can be seen carrying a “Dump Trump” poster. One of the Trump supporters in the video had been photographed at a counter-protest.
“You called my five-year-old cousin a terrorist,” the girl’s cousin, Rawan, says as the video begins.
“She looks like one,” said the man, who has been identified as Johnny Turano.
“You don’t call a five-year-old a f***ing terrorist,” Rawan said.
“You’re the one making videos with hee-bobs on,” Turano said in what appears to be an attempt to say hijab, which he seems to have confused with the traditional keffiyeh scarves all three of the Palestinian-Americans are wearing around their necks.
Rania also shared a video that the Trump supporter’s daughter, named Bianca, took and shared on Facebook, which continued on after the first video ends.
“There ain’t no Palestine you f***ing retard.” Turano says, “Israel only.”
“You guys are terrorists, get out of here!” Turano’s daughter says as the Palestinian-Americans walks away. “If you hate America so much, leave!”
“I don’t hate America – I just hate [inaudible] f***s like you,” the boy responds.
The video also shows Turano shouting at two women as they walk by, “I love Israel!” he says. “You can suck my d*** with your hee-bob on.” Rawan told RT that the women were her mother and Talia’s mother. Turano didn’t know they were related.
“Go hang yourself!” he says. “Representing over here, Trump style!”
The videos have caused a stir online, and a hashtag has been started, #JusticeforTalia.
this is absolutely disgusting. this is the reason why people hate america so damn much. & the dumbass that recorded this actually thought she was doin something good LMAOOO https://t.co/u1rgJXxFcj
— riley ❄︎ (@rileyisfab7) December 12, 2017
It’s sad to know grown adults would call a little innocent girl a terrorist when she probably doesn’t even know what exactly is going on. Poor thing. White supremacists have stooped really low. Palestinians aren’t terrorists, terrorists are terrorists. #JusticeForTaliahttps://t.co/do28FfDviK
— bre (@bl_x0) December 12, 2017
Turano, who has since made his Facebook private, recorded a Facebook live video after the altercation, according to Twitter users who shared a copy of the video. Turano, wearing a spartan helmet with a Star of David on it and with an American flag draped across his shoulders, says “I’m John Turano, I’m a Spartan,” before going on a rant against Palestinians gathering in America and calling for the death of the Jewish state.
Turano is a well-known pro-Trump protester who has marched for the alt-right in the past.
“That little girl that people are crying for, yeah, it was terrible that I said that, yeah, but that girl attacked America,” he said. “She carried a sign against my president, who I voted for, I love Donald Trump.”
“Not only that, she’s over there chanting it, on the front line. Look through your videos,” he added.
Rawan told RT that the poster Talia was carrying was hers and that Talia had been begging her to hold it during the protest, so she let her as they were walking back to their car.
She said she had no idea that the video would gain so much attention.
“I didn’t know they were going to be exposed,” she said.