A riot broke out in a historic Brooklyn synagogue when a group of rebellious Orthodox men tried to stop police and construction crews from filling in a secret tunnel they illegally dug to reach a closed-down women’s bath.
The enraged men, mostly in their teens and early 20s, were filmed tearing down wood panels and wooden support beams.
Members of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement have reportedly been digging a tunnel under the Crown Heights synagogue for nearly a year. (Trending: First Moon Mission In 50 Years Blasts Off)
🚨#BREAKING: Riot Unfolds as NYPD Responds to Discovery of Underground Tunnel in Brooklyn Temple ⁰
📌#CrownHeights | #BrooklynCurrently, numerous law enforcementare at the scene of a riot at the Chabad headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where individuals tore wooden… pic.twitter.com/U4oSYL0Fkb
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 9, 2024
The tunnel was discovered last month, and on Monday cement mixers arrived to fill it in, sparking the riot.
“They need to be put in their place, put in their place in so many meanings of the word,” Rabbi Braun said.
“Unfortunately, despite consistently prevailing in court, the process has dragged on for years,” Rabbi Motti Seligson said.
“This is, obviously, deeply distressing to the Lubavitch movement and the Jewish community worldwide,” he wrote online. “We hope and pray to be able to expeditiously restore the sanctity and decorum of this holy place.”
At least a dozen men were taken into custody. No injuries were reported in the brawl.
The riot came amid ongoing disputes over who legally owns the property.
“The Chabad-Lubavitch community is pained by the vandalism of a group of young agitators who damaged the synagogue below Chabad Headquarters,” Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky said. “These odious actions will be investigated and the sanctity of the synagogue will be restored.”
“Our thanks to the NYPD for their professionalism and sensitivity,” he added. “We are grateful for the outpouring of concern, and for our Chabad Lubavitch institutions around the world.”
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