*At least a dozen Jewish students were arrested in Brooklyn, New York, after attempting to interfere with efforts to seal an alleged 50-foot-long tunnel underneath a historic synagogue.
On Monday, the secret tunnel was discovered under the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights. A viral video shows law enforcement removing soiled kids’ mattresses from the tunnel. In other clips, children’s products are littered throughout the tunnel — prompting many social media users to suspect the space was being used for child sex trafficking.
One clip shows construction crews were met with fierce resistance during tunnel seal efforts.
“Upon arrival, officers were informed that a group of individuals unlawfully entered 770 Eastern Parkway by damaging a wall,” a police spokesperson told the Daily Mail. “At this time, it is known that a number of individuals were taken into custody. Charges are pending. No injuries were reported as a result of this incident.”
It’s not clear when the tunnel was constructed or for what purpose. The Forward reports that the tunnel was first found in December 2023.
Wild scenes broke out on Monday at a synagogue in Brooklyn, after construction workers arrived to fill in an illegally-dug tunnel that was being used by young Orthodox Jewish men in an attempt to link the building to a nearby ritual bath. #grindfacetv @ANTHONYBLOGAN pic.twitter.com/Urc9Qb0pu0
— GrindFace TV (Entertainment) (@grindfacetv) January 10, 2024
Multiple arrests were made this week after dozens of Jewish men had a violent confrontation with police and crews during efforts to fill the tunnel. In a statement, chairman Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky called it an act of “vandalism” by “a group of young agitators.”
“The Chabad-Lubavitch community is pained by the vandalism of a group of young agitators who damaged the synagogue below Chabad Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway Monday night,” the statement read.
“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. We are grateful for the outpouring of concern, and for the support of our Chabad-Lubavitch institutions around the world.”
JUST IN: Chaos breaks out in New York City after underground tunnels were discovered under the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn.
The incident below reportedly took place to prevent a cement truck from filling the tunnels.
According to the Crown Heights Info, the… pic.twitter.com/jHotsUmHKJ
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 9, 2024
Several social media users noted how officers at the scene were “gentle” in handling the rowdy students.
One X/Twitter user wrote, “Amazing how gentle the NY cops are with these guys. Fixing hats, lifting tarps, moving slowly. The female cop was spacing out and looking into the distance.”
“Baby high chairs, strollers and kids sized mattresses,” another commented. “Children and babies were kept there. Why?”
Meanwhile, Motti Seligson, Chabad’s Director of Media, also reacted to the arrests.
“Some time ago, a group of extremist students, broke through a few walls in adjacent properties to the synagogue at 784-788 Eastern Parkway, to provide them unauthorized access,” Seligson said. “Earlier today, a cement truck was brought in to repair those walls. Those efforts were disrupted by the extremists who broke through the wall to the synagogue, vandalizing the sanctuary, in an effort to preserve their unauthorized access.”
A secretly built tunnel was discovered under a historic synagogue in Brooklyn, #NewYork. pic.twitter.com/J3p3pMasI1
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) January 10, 2024
READ MORE: Rabbis Harass Kyrie Irving with ‘I’m a Jew and I’m Proud’ Signs During Game
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
