Police Called as City Council District 2 Candidate Camps Clash!

On June 14th, as early voting began for the 2025 New York City Democrat primaries, the political battleground in Manhattan’s East Village turned hostile. Outside the Campos Plaza Community Center, located at 611 East 13th Street, an intense and heated confrontation erupted in the afternoon between members of Assemblyman Harvey Epstein’s campaign team and the supporters of City Council District 2 candidate Allie Ryan and 74th Assembly District Leader Francisco Gonzalez.

According to eyewitnesses and video footage, Epstein’s team approached Ryan and Gonzalez’s campaign table, where an aggressive verbal altercation quickly escalated. Members of Ryan and Gonzalez’s camps allege they were harassed and threatened by Epstein’s staffers, prompting them to call law enforcement. The NYPD arrived on the scene shortly after the altercation, and a formal criminal complaint was filed by Ryan and Gonzalez’s team against members of Epstein’s campaign.

In video footage that has since surfaced, Assemblyman Epstein can be seen speaking briefly with his team before leaving the scene. Reports indicate that he was allegedly called back by police for further questioning regarding the incident.

In a city already on edge, this clash is reflective of the growing tensions within New York’s Democratic Party. What was once considered rare — Democrats turning against each other — is now becoming an unsettling and increasingly visible trend. With several high-profile candidates vying for City Council District 2 — including the likes of disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner — emotions are running high, and the stakes couldn’t be greater.

While the initial moments of the confrontation were not captured on video, many observers note that Epstein’s campaign team had ample opportunity to avoid direct engagement with Ryan and Gonzalez’s supporters. Instead, choosing to approach and engage only served to escalate the situation further — a scene that does little to serve the ideals of civil discourse or democratic integrity.

Conservative and Republican City Council candidate Jason Murillo, who is expected to face off against the eventual Democratic nominee this November, weighed in on the confrontation. Speaking to reporters, Murillo remarked, “I hope my adversaries in the November election display more decorum. These kinds of tactics may energize some, but they won’t play well with voters. Either way, I’m ready.”

As this election season heats up, one thing is clear: in New York City politics, even members of the same party are no longer pulling punches.