It turns out Marvin Schick's brother sparked the Boro Park riot:
The trouble began when cops arrested Schick, 75, alleging that he was talking on his cell phone while driving and failed to obey instructions. Witnesses said he was roughed up by cops when he got out of the car and, hard of hearing, may not have been able to hear their instructions. The cops said he failed to get out of the way as they were trying to answer a radio call and was later confrontational.
Schick was charged with obstructing governmental administration and was released on a desk appearance ticket.
Schick is the brother of Marvin Schick, a commentator on Jewish affairs and president of the Rabbi Jacob Joseph School on Staten Island. The family’s baked goods business is well known in the kosher world.
Haredim blame police for the the riot and allege police brutality. Even if this is true (and I doubt that it is in the fullest sense) the behavior of the haredim – attacking police, burning property and hooliganism – cannot be condoned or explained away. Marvin Schick's next column should be a civics lesson for all haredim – his family included.