Elderly Jewish Man Killed After Confrontation With Pro-Palestine Demonstrators in CA
An elderly Jewish man died of head injuries after he was caught in an encounter that broke out between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine demonstrations in California.
The death of 69-year-old Paul Kessler was declared a homicide by the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office, and authorities are investigating the circumstances behind his death.
Reports say that officers were called to the intersection of Westlake and Thousand Oaks boulevards after receiving word of a “battery” that happened after tensions flared between the dueling protests. Kessler was reported to have been in an altercation with the pro-Palestinian demonstrators when he was injured, suffering blunt force trauma wounds.
From the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office:
Witness accounts indicated that Kessler was involved in a physical altercation with counter-protestor(s). During the altercation, Kessler fell backwards and struck his head on the ground. Kessler was transported to an area hospital for advanced medical treatment. On November 6, 2023, Kessler succumbed to his injuries…
This is an active and ongoing investigation, and the incident appears to be isolated and not part of a large effort.
Investigations are focusing on accounts that during Kessler’s altercation with a pro-Palestine protester, he was hit in the head with a megaphone. Footage from the incident was posted to social media as it showed Kessler lying on the ground while onlookers, including a pro-Palestine demonstrator, tried to attend to him.
Content warning ⚠️ – an elderly Jewish man has been killed by a pro Palestinian protestor who hit him over the head with a megaphone at yesterday’s Israel rally.
Sadly, the victim has passed away from internal bleeding.
May his memory be a blessing and his attacker be… pic.twitter.com/41ZXNutwvK
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) November 7, 2023
“While we wait for more information from our law enforcement partners, we remind you that this is the fourth major antisemitic crime committed in Los Angeles this year alone,” said the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. “Violence against our people has no place in civilized society. We demand safety. We will not tolerate violence against our community. We will do everything in our power to prevent it.”
— Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (@JFedLA) November 7, 2023
Kessler’s death comes approximately one month after the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas after the terror group’s deadly attack against the country.
Watch above via Fox News.
