An attacker with a machete chased two young men into the Colorado Deli on Gerard Avenue Sunday in broad daylight.
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The video shows the victims doing all they can to fight back.
"We are nervous and afraid, these machete attacks bring us back two years when Junior (Guzman-Feliz) was killed and the bodega owner was blamed for his death," United Bodegas of America President Radhames Rodriguez said. "We are in our bodegas trying to make a living. We don't know who is going to run in and why. We are innocent victims as well. We are not armed. We don't have anything to defend or protect anyone without risking our own lives. The videos you see here are proof of how dangerous New York City has gotten."
Related: Bodega workers in New York City say mask law puts their safety in jeopardy
One man was slashed across the eye and forehead before police arrived at the scene.
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A union spokesperson says deli owners are innocent victims of these attacks, calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio to re-fund the police to protect the bodegas.
"NYPD responded to the 911 call, things happen quickly in real time, as you witness on the videotapes, someone could have died," UBA spokesman Fernando Mateo said. "Lucky day for the two victims who ran into the Bodega, they could have died. Mayor de Blasio must re-fund the police. We need public safety in our hoods. We pay for that protection, and we are not getting it. To many victims, to many killing, to many crimes committed in New York City, this must end."
Related: Brooklyn bodega owner critically wounded in stabbing, search for attackers underway
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