Anti-Israel protesters beat, bear mace Jews, journalists at LA synagogue

An anti-Israel protest at a Los Angeles synagogue on Sunday devolved into brawls, the spraying of counter-protesters and journalists with bear mace, and vandalism of Jewish institutions, according to eyewitnesses and pro-Palestinian groups.

The demonstrations at Adas Torah synagogue in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood were organized by Palestinian Youth Movement LA and Code Pink LA against an Israeli real estate event.

דיווחים בארה"ב: קטטות פרצו בין מפגינים פרו-פלסטינים למפגינים פרו-ישראלים, מחוץ לבית כנסת בלוס אנג'לס | תיעוד@itamargalit pic.twitter.com/fQcXshl4vg

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) June 23, 2024

Anti-Israel activist groups and Jewish community members accused one another of starting the violence, sharing videos on social media of the opposing side engaged in fisticuffs. Videos shared by Jewish community members showed Jews being beaten on the ground by members of an anti-Israel mob.

After hours of silence on the riot at the synagogue, LA Mayor Karen Bass promised to provide additional police patrols to the heavily Jewish neighborhood and would meet with interim Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi to further discuss public safety.  

“Today’s violence in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood today was abhorrent, and blocking access to a place of worship is unacceptable," said LA Mayor Karen Bass. “I 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. I will be joining Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, the Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Federation Los Angeles Rabbi Noah Farkas and other law enforcement and faith leaders in a community meeting as we talk about steps forward, together.”

Journalist Daniel Greenfield, who was present at the rally, said on social media that there were multiple instances of Jewish community members being sprayed with bear mace and peppery spray with no police response. He noted that some protesters had prepared "for violence" by wearing ski goggles.

"Billions will come to kill you," a man in a keffiyeh allegedly told Greenfield.

Violence at the scene of the protest

Journalist Cam Higby was hit by bear mace in the eyes, he said on X. He thanked local rabbis, off duty Emergency medical technicians, and community members who escorted him, aided him, and have him water despite not knowing who he was or what his beliefs were.

"People who aren’t antisemitic don’t show up to a synagogue in a Jewish neighborhood with bear spray and other weapons to fight people," said Higby. "Reviewing footage of Jews being pushed down and beaten bloody in the street just outside of a synagogue in a Jewish neighborhood -- all I can think of is when I learned about the night of broken glass."

Activist and politician Sam Yerbi said that violent anti-Israel activists dispersed into Jewish neighborhoods "hunting Jews and causing more destruction and vandalism." Greenfield had also said that anti-Israel activists had been roaming Pico-Robertson threatening people. Yerbi published a video on Instagram of a man in a Keffiyeh threatening residents with two bludgeons he retrieved from his car.  In another video he shared, community members intervened in anti-Israel vandalism of a kosher restaurant.

Greenfield, Yerbi, and political consultant Noah Pollak, who had also been present, harshly criticized  the LAPD and Bass for their failure to prepare for and address the riot.

Greenfield said that the LAPD had allowed anti-Israel activists to occupy both sides of the synagogue, providing only a small access lane for community members, and when police in riot gear arrived they did not separate the two sides for an hour. Pollak said on social media that he and his family were denied access to the synagogue, as the LAPD had formed a cordon to "keep Jews out and Hamas supporters in."

Pro-Hamas protestors clash with police outside of Adas Torah Synagogue in LA after surrounding the temple on both sides. Our @camhigby is in the field pic.twitter.com/7S2hc0L0eC

— Today is America (@TodayisAmerica) June 23, 2024

Yerbi said that the community had pleaded with elected leaders to speak up and for police to intervene, but "LAPD told us these elected officials told LAPD to stand down and not intervene." Pollak accused officials of telling police not to intervene "to help the Democratic Party street animals do their thuggery."

LA Shmira Public Safety and Magen Am  volunteers provided some security at the site. Ahead of the protest on Friday Shmira said that it was coordinating with the LAPD, Shul Guard Network, the LA Jewish Federation's Community Security Initiative, and other Jewish public safety group to protect the site, and had arranged additional private security. It advised those attending the event not to engage or instigate with anti-Israel protesters.

Greenfield said that the LA Jewish community leadership had failed as well. The leadership, he said, had not controlled the synagogue ground, set up a rally site or sound system, or maintained security.

"Some community leaders urged people not to go to avoid giving the terrorist supporters publicity, others came but in an unorganized fashion," said Greenfield. "While leftists are able to throw together antisemitic rallies at short notice, the Jewish community has failed to prep and the result is that terrorist supporters were able to freely operate in the heart of the Pico-Robertson Jewish community and to intimidate a synagogue."

Community members were also critical of California politicians' failure to issue statements for hours after the riot. Politicians began to respond at the same time, at around 10 P.M.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said on social media that "The violent clashes outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles are appalling. There is no excuse for targeting a house of worship. Such antisemitic hatred has no place in California."

The violent clashes outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles are appalling. There is no excuse for targeting a house of worship. Such antisemitic hatred has no place in California.

— California Governor (@CAgovernor) June 24, 2024

Congressman Ted Lieu stated on X that the targeting of a synagogue and its members was antisemitic, and called for those who engaged in violence to be prosecuted.

"I strongly condemn the Pro-Palestinian demonstrators who engaged in anti-Semitism by targeting Adas Torah Synagogue and/or its congregants," said Lieu.

Councilwoman Yaroslavsky said that her upcoming meeting with Bass, the Jewish federation, and the LAPD would explore why the situation had escalated.

"The antisemitic violence that broke out today in Pico Robertson would have been completely unacceptable anywhere in Los Angeles, but that it was planned and carried out in front of a synagogue in the heart of LA’s Jewish community should be deeply concerning to us all," said Yaroslavsky.

The PYM and Codepink rallies had been organized in protest of alleged sale of "stolen Palestinian land," though advertisement for the real estate event did not indicate what areas homes were being sold.

"Racist settler expansionists are not welcome in Los Angeles!" said PYM LA. "This blatant example of land theft is operating in our own backyard. The Nakba is ongoing and must be confronted!"

One Code Pink video showed protesters chanting for intifada as the "only solution."

Anti-Israel activists claimed that they had peacefully protested and were attacked by pro-Israel counter-protesters and police.

"Madness, chaos, agitation, provoking and the use of physical force by the Zionist community and LAPD," said Code Pink on Instagram. "While our comrades were physically assaulted, pepper/bear sprayed and attacked as they walked back to their cars, LAPD did nothing to keep us safe but rather pushed and used their combat toys to add to injury."

The Party for Socialism and Liberation Los Angeles published videos of activists being pushed by police. In one clash, protesters and counter-protesters grappled over an Israeli flag. One Muslim woman was spat on and pelted with an egg when she refused to let go of the flag. The fight was broken up when one activist sprayed the group with mace. In another PSL video, a pro-Israel woman knocked the phone of an anti-Israel activist out of their hand. One man told an anti-Israel protester to "go to Gaza, we're going to kill you." In a video published on Instagram by community group Sot El Zaytoon, a pro-Israel man body checked a Muslim woman, and then was punched to the ground by an anti-Israel activist.

Another protest organized by Code Pink had been held outside the Shaarey Zedek congregation on Thursday. 

International March of the Living responds.

The International March of the Living (IML), a Holocaust education organization, also responded to the clashes as well as other antisemitic incidents that have occurred around the world.

"The attack on the 'Adas Torah' synagogue in Los Angeles and the targeting of Jews there, as well as the attacks on synagogues in Russia, the shocking rape of a Jewish girl in France last week, and the daily threats to Jews worldwide, all lead to one grim conclusion: Jewish blood is cheap," IML stated, adding that attacks such as these "are all attempts to intimidate and push Jews out of the public sphere - a phenomenon we know all too well from history. We call on the authorities in countries across the world to come to their senses quickly because Jewish blood is being shed with impunity.”