Arrests made after brawl with police at Chabad Lubavitch synagogue in Brooklyn
NEW YORK - There are new details about a bizarre brawl with cops caught on video at a world-renowned synagogue in Brooklyn.
The congregation's leadership tells CBS New York the fight broke out after they tried to take action on an unauthorized passageway underneath the building.
Twelve people were taken into custody.
There was a clash between police and some congregants in the middle of the afternoon prayer service Monday at Chabad Lubavitch Synagogue at 770 Eastern Parkway. The organization said "a group of extremist students broke through a few walls in adjacent properties" to get unauthorized access. So when a cement truck was brought in to repair the walls, the men vandalized the sanctuary.
"They don't want to lose the work that they did in all the years, so they break the main wall," witness Omri Bahar said.
The outlet CrownHeights.info shared video that shows the wall is connected to a makeshift tunnel, and it looks more like a crawlspace, allegedly connecting a now-closed holy bathing area to the building.
"It's obviously very troubling to not just the Lubavitch community, but people, Jews around the world. This is a very significant place," Chabad Lubavitch spokesman Rabbi Motti Seligson said.
He added "Lubavitch officials have attempted to gain proper control of the premises through the state court system; Unfortunately, despite consistently prevailing in court, the process has dragged on for years."
Police sources said, of the 12 people taken into custody, seven were released, and five will be arraigned in front of a Brooklyn judge for charges including criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and obstruction of governmental administration.
"When we see just a small fringe group of people, who don't represent our community, they do whatever they want. Vandalism is obviously completely unacceptable," Crown Heights resident Boruch Kalmenson said.
People who support that so-called fringe group said they hope this brings attention to the need to expand the world headquarters.
"Thousands of people come here the whole year and there's no room," Crown Heights resident Zalmy Grossman said.
"It's definitely very painful what happened, and how some people are not respecting the sanctity of the site," Crown Heights resident David Bronstein said.
For now, the sanctuary remains closed.
The chairman of Chabad said these actions will be investigated.
