Two arrested following protest at Koreatown synagogue – NBC Los Angeles

Tensions flared at a synagogue Wednesday morning after protesters disrupted a private event at the place of worship in Koreatown.

Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s Senior Rabbi Joel Nickerson says their temple was hosting a public safety event with Jewish and Korean leaders when the protesters disrupted the event around 10 a.m.

Rabbi Nickerson says the protesters used hateful language and broke a glass vase while inside. He added that their temple’s private security stepped in, and LAPD arrived shortly after, detaining at least two people.

“We had people demonstrating with horrific anti-Semitic slurs, sneaking into the event with the desire purely just to disrupt this event,” said Nickerson.

Video shared with NBC4 shows multiple protesters inside the building, disrupting the ongoing event. The protesters eventually moved outside, where Rabbi Nickerson says they stayed for several hours in front of their temple, blocking the entrance and harassing people trying to enter their synagogue.

“This is something that is striking even more fear in Los Angeles for the Jewish community, something that we don’t need,” said Nickerson. “We’ve had enough fear for the last couple of years, and this is a time for all of us to come together. We will not be intimidated by this.”

Mayor Karen Bass and other Jewish leaders condemn the incident, citing that antisemitism has no place in Los Angeles.

“This behavior is abhorrent and has no place in Los Angeles. I spoke with Rabbi Nickerson to ensure he and his congregation know that the City of Los Angeles stands with them and fully condemns these attacks,” wrote Bass in a statement in part.

Officers took two people into custody, one for battery and the other for vandalism, according to the LAPD.

Mayor Bass says additional LAPD officers will be patrolling near areas of worship.