Crown Heights Police clashed with extremist members of the Chabad community members in the historic 770 synagogue after illegal construction work was discovered within. Authorities found a large underground tunnel in the main study hall, which several students claim to have dug in an attempt to expand the building. Police arrived to seal the tunnel and ordered cement trucks to fill it in. Several extremists from the community entered the tunnel in protest, and a violent altercation with the police erupted as officers attempted to clear them out and allow the sealing work to continue. Related articles: Seven Israeli students injured in fire at Chabad school Man charged with hate crime after attacking Jews in Crown Heights Judge calls Hasidic students a "shame to worldwide Chabad" Jewish man stabbed in the neck in Crown Heights According to the Daily Caller, the tunnel was first reported by neighbors in late 2023, when a project to upgrade the buildings plumbing was underway. Neighbors of the building reported suspicious noises under their homes. With the discovery of the tunnel, many began to fear for the safety of the building and the ones next to it, as the tunnel stretched under at least one other building. Social media footage of the altercation shows people throwing furniture, hanging a "Moshiach" (messiah) flag on the tunnel, and police officers using pepper spray to disperse the crowd. In a statement, the Chabad-Lubavitch Headquarters said, "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." "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," the statement concluded.
