A New York City synagogue erupted into chaos Monday night after members refused to have a secret tunnel sealed off, according to CrownHeights.info.
Video footage of the incident circulated on Twitter, displaying a chaotic scene between Jewish synagogue members and New York Police Department (NYPD) officers. Shouting ensued as officers and members clashed, with some Jewish members appearing to flip tables and crossing over crime tape NYPD officers were behind.
Another shot displayed a member crawling out from what appears to be a hole connected to the synagogue, then walking out onto the NYC street. (RELATED: ‘I Have A Daughter In Brooklyn!’: Video Shows Motorist Absolutely Losing It On Pro-Palestine Traffic Blockers)
🚨#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 incident began Monday afternoon after a cement truck was sent to the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters, known as the 770 due to its address in Crown Heights, according to Col Live. The truck was ordered to fill up an underground tunnel that had run from the main synagogue to a now closed building next door, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Seven Jews Killed In Rocket Strike On Synagogue)
First reports of the tunnel surfaced in late 2023, after a homeowner had called authorities about suspicious noises in his neighborhood for some time, CrownHeights.info first reported. Simultaneously, a construction project was in progress to install new plumbing in the 770. However, following excavation of a trench for the project, the underground secret tunnel had been discovered, according to the outlet.
The tunnel had reportedly been worked on during nights for an unknown amount of time, stretching the tunnel to a next door building’s women’s section, CrownHeights.info reported. Following the discovery of the tunnel, many worried about the stability of the building.
The NYPD was called to the synagogue after a group of men began to allegedly disconnect the hosing and vandalize the cement trucks, according to CrownHeights.info. As the men went inside the building, they allegedly began to vandalize the place, ripping off walls of the downstairs 770, as well as exposing the tunnel, the outlet reported.
The NYPD has arrested ten people, with claims that a man inside had attempted to pepper spray an officer, according to CrownHeights.info.
The NYPD has not made any reported statements about the incident.