The Chabad-Lubavitch synagogue, located in Brooklyn, and historically influential center of the Hasidic Jewish movement, was the site of riots by alleged “extremist students” who allegedly built a tunnel that was discovered inside the property.
It is an underground tunnel that allowed (or intended to allow) entry and exit to the synagogue. But after they discovered it, they began confrontations that ended in several arrests by the New York Police.
Chabad-Lubavitch, located on Crown Heights’ busy Eastern Parkway, attracts thousands of visitors, including many international students. Its neo-Gothic style façade is immediately recognizable to followers of the Chabad movement, and inspires replicas of the venerated building to be built around the world, AP reported.
The closure of the tunnel sparked a protest that turned violent
On Tuesday, the synagogue remained closed by police barricades, while New York City building security officers inspected whether the tunnel dug without official permission could have caused structural damage to the famous property.
Officials and locals said youth from the community had recently built the passage to the shrine in secret. But when the group’s leaders tried to shut it down on Monday, they staged a protest that turned violent and police intervened to make arrests.
Chabad leaders declined to say when they discovered the clandestine connection. But several worshipers said news of the tunnel’s existence had spread through the community in recent weeks. A spokesman said it was designed by “extremist students.”
The situation came to a head on Monday, when a cement truck arrived to seal the opening. Defenders of the tunnel staged a protest and tore off the wooden siding of the synagogue.
The Police asked the young people to leave the tunnel and they refused
A police department spokesperson told the AP that officers were called to the building to respond to a disorderly group that was trespassing and damaging a wall.
The police asked the young people to leave the tunnel entrance, according to witnesses. After they refused, officers covered the area with a white curtain and entered the dusty crevice with zip ties to detain the protesters.
“When they took the first person out with zip ties, the explosion occurred,” said Baruch Dahan, a 21-year-old student at the synagogue. “Almost everyone was against what they did, but as soon as people saw the handcuffs, there was confusion and pushing.”
Authorities indicated that a total of 9 people, between the ages of 19 and 22, were arrested for criminal conduct, criminal trespass, reckless endangerment, and obstruction of government administration. Three others were cited for disorderly conduct.
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