The internet experienced a wave of shocking and unsavory announcements from multiple women in New York City to round out March this year, so happening to be Women’s History Month. These announcements exposed random attacks the women had endured. More specifically, random women getting punched in the face while walking down the street. Literally, getting punched in the face.

The attacks were not excessively violent and typically did not leave anything more than minor injuries and some tears, but it was staggering and scary news for TikTok users, nonetheless, starting on March 25 when creator Halley McGookin – who goes by “Halley Kate”- posted the first viral video.

“You guys, I was literally just walking, and a man came up and punched me in the face. Oh my god, it hurts so bad, I can’t even talk,” said Kate.

In the post that has since amassed over 50 million views, Kate is seen with a giant welt on her forehead, some commenters speculating that it looked like a hematoma. The influencer is in tears, choking on her words.

Since Kate posted the video, more women have come forward about experiencing similar attacks, all taking place in New York City. Another TikTok creator, Mikayla Toninato, posted a similar video around the same time as Kate’s, immediately after being punched as well. She makes a call to all women of New York to be careful if they are on their phones and walking, as it seemed at the time of her and Kate’s videos that this was the connection between victims:

“I don’t know if this is like, a thing that’s going around, but I guess if you’re in New York right now and you’re walking while looking at your phone maybe don’t do that. Maybe head on a swivel,” said Toninato.

Since more women came forward online and investigations have been done, it seems that walking and being on the phone at the same time did not actually influence whether a woman in New York could get punched, and that the attacks were fully random. The only relation between the victims is that they are all women. Regarding whom is responsible for these attacks, NBC News reported on March 30, that at least three men have been arrested in connection to individual assaults.

Despite rumors going around online speculating whether the responsible party is either a ‘serial puncher’ or a ‘network of incels’ (men that are angry at women because they are unable to get a girlfriend, essentially), it seems that the men do not have any connections to each other, and the first attack started a trend within the city.

While these theories are interesting to ponder, there is one specific man that stands out from the others arrested because of his political background and outlandish social media presence.

Skiboky Stora (@skiboky_stora on Instagram) was arrested on March 27 and faces assault and harassment charges for the attack against Kate, although his social media is currently active. Stora has a history of criminal activity, being arrested this past December for other alleged assault according to CBS News, as well as being somewhat known for his failed attempts at holding local political offices in New York City and being socially deviant online.

Stora’s social media is filled with videos of him self-campaigning under ‘The Freedom Party 2024,’ along with the claim that he is Marcus Garvey’s grandson. While there is no verified truth behind this claim of being related to the controversial political figure of the early 1900’s, it makes sense for the rest of Stora’s online persona as a seemingly deranged grown man. A brief look at his Instagram alone will show multiple videos of him recording police officers, as well as random women in New York.

As quick as TikTok trends come and go, this too shall pass. Especially now that there have been arrests made for some of the attacks against the women, the internet will soon move on to the next hot topic, giving this one a fate of being in a ‘2024 Recap’ video nine months from now. Even though the internet may forget, I thought it was still important to bring up as a women’s issues column topic because everyday women around the world are faced with new as well as age-old challenges specific to their gender. If you think this sounds dramatic, the idea that women must deal with a separate set of problems because of their gender, I suggest that you examine your own prejudices and taught contempt towards the female gender and get over it.

So, with all the happenings in New York this past month involving women’s faces and men’s fists, I present this question to the culture: Can women have anything? Like, genuinely, sincerely and from the bottommost pit of my heart, can men who feel the need to physically assault women please go to therapy, or at least pretend they are grown adults and not 5-year-olds that were told the word “no” for the first time? Do we have to get in a circle holding hands and make up a rhyme about why keeping our hands to ourselves is important for women to be respected?