A secret tunnel under the synagogue of the rabbi admired by Javier Milei in New York sparks a clash between faithful and police

A group of Hasidic Jewish believers were arrested in the middle a dispute over a secretly dug tunnel to the side of a historic synagogue in Brooklyn, New York, in an unusual episode that sparked a pitched clash between the police and those trying to defend the improvised passage.

The discovery of the tunnel at Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights prompted an emergency structural inspection by the mayor’s office Tuesday.

The building at 770 Eastern Parkway was once the home of the movement’s leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, whose grave Argentine President Javier Milei visited in November before taking office, and attracts thousands of visitors each year.

Its Gothic-style façade is instantly recognizable to followers of the Chabad movement, and replicas of the venerated building have been built around the world.

Chabad spokesman Motti Seligson said “a group of extremist students” had secretly breached the walls of a vacant building behind the headquarters, creating an underground passage under a row of office buildings and classrooms that ended up connecting with the synagogue.

On Monday, the property manager called in a construction crew to repair the damaged walls, leading to an altercation with those who wanted to leave the walkway.

“These attempts were interrupted by extremists who breached the synagogue wall, vandalizing the sanctuary, in order to preserve their unauthorized access,” Seligson said.

A police department spokeswoman said officers were called to the building Monday afternoon to respond a group that was invading and damage a wall.

Fighting and pushing

A video recorded by witnesses was shown police officers confronting young people They were in a cavity in a brick wall.

After the officers pulled one of the men out of the dusty crack, a group of people can be seen pushing the officers and throwing wooden desks and prayer books. One of the officers appears to throw an irritant spray at the group.

The police said so 10 people were arrested for damage and invasion of private property, and one for obstruction of public administration.

It is not clear when the tunnel was built or what it was used for.

On Tuesday, as inspectors from the city’s building safety agency assessed the damage, a group of police officers stood behind barricades surrounding the venue, blocking a line of young people from entering the building.

Source: AP