Video shows person apparently lighting Pride flag on fire outside NYC restaurant

By Derick Waller

Click here for updates on this story

    MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) — The NYPD is investigating an apparent hate crime at a restaurant in Manhattan.

The Pride flag was set on fire at around 1:40 a.m. at The Little Prince restaurant in SoHo.

Before the fire, the flag read “Make America Gay Again.”

The tongue-in-cheek phrase is believed to have set someone off, as a worker said he saw someone get out of a car and light the flag on fire.

Police released surveillance video showing a woman getting out of her white vehicle, taking out a lighter, lighting the flag on fire, getting back in the vehicle, and speeding away.

A surveillance video showed a Pride flag catching fire outside a restaurant in SoHo.

It led to a temporary evacuation of the apartments above the Prince Street restaurant.

“I can’t believe something like that that happened last night, so I just think we’ve started to go the wrong way,” said Stu Matz, a neighbor.

“Hate exists unfortunately so I don’t know what to say, it’s heartbreaking,” Asli Fevzi, a neighbor.

A worker also told Eyewitness News that just a few months ago, someone stole that same flag.

“To be a part of it, and to witness it, and to work here and to have that happen, like this is my job. This is where I make money and this is also where I have a home,” the employee said. “So to have that taken away, I’m confused and I’m hurt, and I don’t know how to feel about it.”

Fortunately, no one was injured in the fire.

“This is a really usually nice neighborhood where everybody respects each other and that’s not something that should ever happen around here,” Matz said.

The NYPD says they are still searching for the arsonist.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.