Protesters beaten during Turkish President Erdogan’s speech at New York hotel

Violence broke out during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s speech in New York this week when protesters were beaten and removed, according to videos that began circulating on social media Friday.

It was the second such confrontation in recent months involving the Turkish leader, who has attracted widespread criticism for crackdowns on journalists, human rights advocates and political adversaries.

The latest incident occurred as Erdogan was giving a speech Thursday at the Marriott Marquis Hotel for an event sponsored by the Turkish American National Steering Committee.

Video footage shows protesters being pushed, punched and dragged out of the venue.

It is unclear how the confrontation began, but in some of the video footage protesters can be heard interrupting Erdogan’s speech and shouting, “Terrorist!”

Another video shows a man wearing a white T-shirt being punched in the face as a group of men wearing suits take him outside.

In the background, Erdogan supporters can be heard shouting the president’s name.

It is not clear whether the men seen confronting protesters were Erdogan’s bodyguards, hotel security or someone else entirely.

A similar situation took place in May when Erdogan’s bodyguards attacked and injured a handful of protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s house in Washington.

The State Department issued a statement shortly after that incident saying the “conduct of Turkish security personnel ... was deeply disturbing,” and “violence is never an appropriate response to free speech.”