A Pro-Palestinian protest outside a Los Angeles synagogue escalated into violence on Sunday as counter protesters clashed with demonstrators, leading to several altercations in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood of Pico Robertson.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to two protests in the area, with video footage showing police intervening to push pro-Palestinian protesters away from the entrance of the Adas Torah temple. Chants of “Free, free Palestine - from the river to the sea” and “long live intifada” were heard among the pro-Palestinian group.
Participants blocked traffic and engaged in multiple altercations on the streets and sidewalks. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the violence as “abhorrent” and requested additional police patrols in the community and outside other houses of worship in the city.
Videos shared on social media captured both groups taunting, shoving, and grabbing each other outside the synagogue, leading to scuffles that spilled onto nearby streets. In one video, two men were seen wrestling on the ground, with one holding an Israeli flag appearing to have a bloodied face.
Additional footage showed an egg being thrown at a pro-Palestinian activist and a man wearing a traditional Palestinian scarf being chased and punched by another individual wearing a Jewish yarmulke. Bystanders attempted to intervene and separate the individuals involved in the altercations.
Protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict have sparked tensions across the US, with reports of hate crimes and bias incidents on the rise. The Anti-Defamation League noted a 140% increase in antisemitic incidents in 2023 compared to the previous year, while the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported a surge in anti-Muslim bias reports.
Law enforcement began monitoring the situation in Los Angeles around 10:30 a.m., with one person arrested for possessing a prohibited item during the protest. The Jewish Federation Los Angeles assured the community of safety measures being in place through their Community Security Initiative.
Rabbi Hertzel Illulian of the JEM Community Center in Beverly Hills expressed dismay over the violence, stating that such actions do not belong in the area. Governor Gavin Newsom also condemned the protesters' actions, denouncing antisemitic hatred in California.
