A pro-Palestinian protest held outside a Los Angeles synagogue devolved into chaotic street violence with pro-Israel counterprotesters on Sunday in an incident that several officials, including President Joe Biden, criticized as antisemitic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Los Angeles Police Department said it responded to two protests Sunday in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood of Pico-Robertson, just south of Beverly Hills. Videos taken at the scene show police pushing pro-Palestinian protesters away from the entrance of the Adas Torah temple, an Orthodox synagogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chants of \u201cFree, free Palestine – from the river to the sea,\u201d and \u201clong live intifada,\u201d could be heard from among the pro-Palestinian protesters. Participants blocked traffic, and video from the scene shows multiple altercations broke out in the middle of the street and on sidewalks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officers arrested a person with a \u201cspiked flag,\u201d the police department told CNN. The person was issued a citation for possessing a prohibited item during a protest and released from custody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Protests around the Israel-Gaza war have become common across the United States since October, but Democratic officials sharply criticized Sunday\u2019s event for its violence and for taking place at a Jewish institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m appalled by the scenes outside of Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles. Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic, and un-American,\u201d Biden said on X<\/u><\/a>. \u201cAmericans have a right to peaceful protest. But blocking access to a house of worship \u2013 and engaging in violence \u2013 is never acceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c(Sunday\u2019s) violence in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood today was abhorrent, and blocking access to a place of worship is unacceptable,\u201d Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. \u201cI\u2019ve called on LAPD to provide additional patrols in the Pico-Robertson community as well as outside of houses of worship throughout the city. I\u2019ll be meeting with Chief (Dominic) Choi tomorrow to further discuss the safety of Angelenos.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want to be clear that Los Angeles will not be a harbor for antisemitism and violence. Those responsible for either will be found and held accountable,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe violent clashes outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles are appalling,\u201d California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on X<\/u><\/a>. \u201cThere is no excuse for targeting a house of worship. Such antisemitic hatred has no place in California.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTargeting a synagogue, or targeting the members of a synagogue, is anti-Semitic,\u201d US Rep. Ted Lieu of California said on X<\/u><\/a>. \u201cI strongly condemn the Pro-Palestinian demonstrators who engaged in anti-Semitism by targeting Adas Torah Synagogue and\/or its congregants. Anyone who engaged in violence should be prosecuted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jewish and Muslim advocacy groups say the war has led to skyrocketing hate crimes and bias incidents. The Anti-Defamation League reports that antisemitic incidents were up 140%<\/u><\/a> in 2023 compared to the prior year. And the Council on American-Islamic Relations said last year marked the highest number of anti-Muslim bias reports<\/u><\/a> it has received in nearly three decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The protest stemmed from an Israel real estate event on Sunday at the Adas Torah synagogue, according to the synagogue\u2019s security director and social media posts from organizers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The event at the synagogue was promoted by a firm called My Home in Israel Real Estate, a group that has helped to facilitate marketing events for potential property sales in Israel and the West Bank<\/u><\/a> to Jewish Americans. CNN has reached out to the group for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In response, pro-Palestinian groups announced plans to protest the event in a Friday Instagram post from the Palestinian Youth Movement and an LA-based chapter of the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur land is not for sale,\u201d the post stated. \u201cStand against settler expansion at Sunday\u2019s real estate event selling homes to build \u2018Anglo neighborhoods\u2019 in Palestine.\u201d The post then listed the synagogue\u2019s Los Angeles address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRacist settler expansionists are not welcome in Los Angeles!\u201d the account wrote in the caption. \u201cThis blatant example of land theft is operating in our own backyard. The Nakba<\/u><\/a> is ongoing and must be confronted!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan Braum, the volunteer security director for the temple, said the protesters blocked the entrance to the synagogue until police arrived and pushed them away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s unclear how the chaos escalated, but videos shared on social media shows both groups taunting, shoving and grabbing each other outside the synagogue. The groups of demonstrators eventually began flowing down nearby streets, where more scuffles broke out, the videos show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In one video, two men appear to be wrestling on the ground as others\u2002kick<\/u><\/a> at them. Later, one of the men \u2013 holding an Israeli <\/strong>flag \u2013 appears<\/u><\/a> to have a bloodied face and mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additional video showed an egg thrown<\/u><\/a> at a pro-Palestinian activist and a man wearing a keffiyeh<\/u><\/a>, a traditional Palestinian scarf, chased and punched<\/u><\/a> on the ground by a man wearing a Jewish yarmulke or kippah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During many of the altercations, bystanders worked to pull and hold people apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Los Angeles police began monitoring the situation around 10:30 a.m., Officer Tony Im told CNN. The crowd was ordered to disperse at some point, Im said, though no exact time was provided. He added that the situation appeared \u201cpretty calm\u201d hours later, but that police were closely monitoring the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Braum said the pro-Palestinian protesters had their faces covered, said \u201cvile, disgusting things\u201d and were \u201cready for a fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey come looking to escalate,\u201d he said. \u201cNot every single one of them, that would be unfair of me to say. But there are certain ones who come looking for violence and they get violence and they want the cameras recording.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One man wearing a red keffiyeh over his face spoke to CNN affiliate KCAL<\/u><\/a> as a counter-protester badgered him to \u201cshow your face.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not meant to be intimidating. Yeah, disruptive, for sure,\u201d the keffiyeh-wearing man said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is intimidating,\u201d he added, pointing at the counter-protester. \u201cWe didn\u2019t get in anyone\u2019s faces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, resident Josh Golcheh disagreed. \u201cThey\u2019ve come to our home. They come and are attacking us. They bear-sprayed my friend who\u2019s standing right over here,\u201d he told KCAL. He said people he knew had been attacked. \u201cIt\u2019s just terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nSynagogue hosted Israel real estate event<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2018They came looking to escalate\u2019<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n