This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.
CAIR-LA Calls on Federal Officials To Investigate Violent Attacks on Protesters Opposing the Sale of Illegally Occupied Palestinian Land
(LOS ANGELES, CA – 07/8/2024) –The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today called on federal officials to ensure a fair and transparent investigation into the recent violence that broke out during a protest opposing a real estate marketing event hosted by an organization that has reportedly promoted the sale of illegally occupied Palestinian land. CAIR-LA also called on officials to ensure that the investigation addresses the violent attacks against pro-Palestinian demonstrators by pro-Israel counter-protesters.
SEE: Feds investigating violence during pro-Palestinian protest outside Los Angeles synagogue
On June 27, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and the FBI have begun collecting evidence and are launching an official investigation into the violence that occurred outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles.
Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered to oppose a marketing event hosted by the synagogue that reportedly promoted the sale of property in the illegally occupied West Bank. Many of the protesters were confronted, harassed, and violently attacked by pro-Israel counter-protesters. Multiple journalists also report that their equipment was destroyed, and their phones were stolen by pro-Israel supporters.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Legal Director Amr Shabaik, Esq. said:
“While we welcome the investigation into the violence that occurred against demonstrators outside the Adas Torah synagogue, we also call on Attorney General Garland, and other federal officials, to ensure that the investigation is not colored by the false narrative surrounding the protest. The politicization of this event has followed a consistent pattern that we have seen over the past several months in which pro-Palestinian protesters are defamed and harmfully labeled as violent antisemites.
“Across the country and in Los Angeles we have witnessed an unprecedented number of violent attacks against Muslims, Palestinians, Arabs, and the diverse group of individuals that advocate for Palestinian human rights by individuals who have been emboldened by the lack of accountability by all levels of our government and law enforcement when it comes to addressing violence and hate against them. We look forward to the perpetrators of the violent attacks against protesters being held accountable.”
Federal and local elected officials, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, released statements following the events framing the pro-Palestinian protesters as antisemitic. These statements do not mention the violence instigated by pro-Israel counter-protesters.
Since Oct. 7, CAIR-LA has seen a 2,650% increase in hate crimes and hate incidents targeting the Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab communities in Los Angeles from October 2023 to June 2024, as compared to the same period the previous year.
This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.
