Multiple videos showing people in South Florida tearing down posters of kidnapped Israelis have been posted on social media in recent days, as tensions from the Israel-Hamas war are continuing in the U.S.
On Tuesday, a Coral Gables dentist and another man were caught on camera taking down the flyers in Brickell.
The dentist, who was fired from his job after the video caused outrage, spoke out Thursday saying his actions were misinterpreted and that he was trying to deescalated the situation.
"Unfortunately my video of four seconds got taken way out of context as well as the way that my former employer had portrayed it, that it's an act of supporting terrorism," Dr. Ahmed ElKoussa told reporters. "It's the very very very contrary, it's to promote peace, it's to deescalate the situation that we're going through and make sure that our communities are safe."
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"The issue here again, it's something that they're posting the posters in Brickell, in the neighborhood where this is not occurring, in this neighborhood it's causing tension," ElKoussa added.
ElKoussa's attorney said the dentist has received hateful messages and death threats since the video surfaced.
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Blake Warman, who shot the video said he's also received backlash. Warman, who owns a bakery in Miami Beach, said people have been sending hateful messages, leaving bad reviews and even making threats.
"I’ve had people send me warnings that I made a wrong move and that Karma is gonna get me," Warman said.
Other videos have also surfaced showing more people tearing down similar flyers of missing civilians in Israel.
One video shows a woman ripping down flyers in a park in Miami. The man who shot the video, Tomer Shaked, said he posted the flyers to raise awareness.
"I started putting posters around my park in my neighborhood," Shaked said. "The last three days, I'm doing the same rounds, I'm putting the same posters and a few hours after I see somebody ripping them apart."
He said he confronted the woman when he saw her tearing down the posters and she told him he was misinformed, but wouldn't elaborate.
"A few minutes after I hang all of them, I saw somebody literally going to rip them. I went, I asked why she was doing that, try to be polite as I can because of all the emotions going on right now," he said.
Shaked, who is from Israel, said it's all about awareness.
"I think it's important for everybody to keep raising awareness, without violence, because we are not violent," he said. "If you try to protect civilians, try to protect all civilians. Muslims, Jewish, Christians, it doesn’t matter."
The fliers are part of a nationwide project by Israeli artists that show photos of missing civilians in Israel who have been kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist group after the attack on Israel nearly two weeks ago. The fliers are also posted to trees and other utility poles throughout South Florida.
Videos showing the flyers being torn down have been filmed across the country, including in New York City, where a 19-year-old woman was charged with assaulting a student in a dispute over posters bearing the names and images of hostages being held by Hamas.
