Joe Biden condemns violence during pro-Palestine stir at Los Angeles synagogue, calls un-American

Opponents of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza staged a protest that evolved into brawling and one arrest outside a Los Angeles synagogue over the weekend in violence condemned by President Joe Biden and the city’s mayor, who called for more police patrols.

Fighting between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and counterprotesters erupted on Sunday outside the Adas Torah synagogue in the heavily Jewish Pico-Robertson neighbourhood and police were called in to break it up.

“I’m appalled by the scenes outside of Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles,” Biden said in a post on social media site X. “Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic and un-American.”

In a statement, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the violence was “abhorrent” and that blocking access to a place of worship was unacceptable.

Bass said she asked the Los Angeles Police Department to provide additional patrols in Pico-Robertson and outside houses of worship citywide.

Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, who represents the area, called the violence antisemitic and said it was particularly concerning that it happened “in front of a synagogue in the heart of LA’s Jewish community.”

“Everyone has the right to protest, and everyone also has the right to be safe from fear and violence,” Yaroslavsky said in a statement.

The Israel-Hamas war erupted in response to the October 7 assault by Hamas-led terrorists who killed 1,200 people and took 250 people hostage in southern Israel. The war has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. It has sparked a humanitarian crisis and displaced most of the territory’s 2.3 million population.