Animal rights activist attacks NYC horse carriage driver with skateboard during tirade, union says

A 27-year-old woman was arrested after allegedly punching two horse-carriage drivers in Central Park and hitting one in the head with a skateboard. The incident has renewed tensions around the city’s carriage trade, which faces a legal phase-out amid competing claims about animal welfare and workers’ safety.

Police charged Abigail Holbrook with two counts of assault; the drivers, both aged 45, suffered minor injuries and declined medical treatment. The attack comes after New York City Council voted 40 to 7 for a law to phase out horse-drawn carriages by 1 June 2028 and establish a transition programme for more than 150 workers. A union official called for more police at carriage stands, while PETA rejected the union’s accusations.