A fundraiser launched Tuesday to support the legal defense of a Mississippi college student accused of targeting businessman Dave Portnoy with antisemitic abuse and thrown coins has raised nearly $29,000 in less than 24 hours.

The campaign on the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo was created for Patrick McClintock, who was arrested Monday by the Starkville Police Department on charges of disturbing the peace following the incident. Authorities allege McClintock shouted antisemitic slurs and hurled coins at Portnoy during the taping of a food review for his One Bite Pizza Reviews series outside Boardtown Pizza & Pints in Starkville on Friday.

According to Starkville police, McClintock’s behavior “crossed the line from expression to disruption,” prompting his arrest.

The GiveSendGo campaign — which by Tuesday evening had received donations from more than 900 contributors — was laced with antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories, including references to so-called “Zionist control” and attacks on what organizers described as “Jewish privilege.”

The post framed McClintock’s arrest as a supposed violation of free speech rights, claiming he was a victim of “tribal privilege weaponizing the law.” It alleged that Jews were attempting to make themselves “untouchable” through influence over the legal system.

The language echoed phrases long associated with extremist and neo-Nazi circles, including references to “ZOG” — a term used by white supremacist groups to describe a “Zionist-occupied government.”

Video posted Tuesday by Barstool Sports showed Portnoy reacting to the incident, which he described as an unprovoked antisemitic outburst. In the clip, the man identified as McClintock can be heard yelling obscenities and antisemitic remarks at Portnoy before being confronted by onlookers.

Witnesses said the crowd quickly rejected the harasser’s remarks, shouting him down and showing support for Portnoy. “Everyone around me had my back,” Portnoy said in the video, adding that he would not judge Starkville by the actions of “one lunatic.”

In a statement posted after the incident, the Starkville Police Department said: “Every person has the right to feel safe and respected in our community. Offensive speech may be protected, but actions that risk harm are not.”

Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, told CBS on Sunday that antisemitic incidents have become “a daily occurrence,” describing the attack as part of a broader cultural shift. “Imagine hating somebody just because of their religion in this country,” he said.

He also expressed concern that McClintock could face disciplinary action from his university, which he said would be justified. “What he did will follow him forever,” Portnoy added.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)