Pepper spraying at Chicago area pro-Israel rally leads to hate crime charges

A man is facing hate crime charges for allegedly pepper spraying people during dueling rallies for Israel and Palestinians on Sunday in Skokie.

Zevulen Ebert, 33, of Skokie, was arrested and charged with two counts of felony aggravated battery and two counts of felony hate crime charges, Skokie police said.

The incident happened Sunday in the 3400 block of Touhy Avenue, where a protest took place outside of a pro-Israel rally.

Ebert is expected to appear in court for a pre-trial release hearing on Wednesday.

Any victims or witnesses with information about the incident are asked to contact Skokie police at 847-982-5900.

Multiple people who attended the rallies complained about the police response during the violence. It wasn’t until a man pulled out a gun and fired.

Read more: CBS Chicago