LOS ANGELES — Two people were arrested Wednesday after pro-Palestinian demonstrators disrupted an event on the campus of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, prompting Mayor Karen Bass to condemn the incident as antisemitic and to order heightened security at local houses of worship.
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The disruption occurred at the synagogue’s Audrey Irmas Pavilion, where Israeli representatives and Jewish security professionals were briefing members of the Korean American community on safety strategies and emerging AI technologies. The program was organized by the Consulate General of Israel.
Police said several activists who had been protesting outside entered the building, interrupting the presentation. Video posted online showed the demonstrators shouting and holding a banner targeting Elbit Systems, an Israeli defense-technology company whose AI researcher, Goni Saar, was speaking at the event. The protest was promoted by Koreatown 4 Palestine.
A pro-Israel activist who attended said she heard anti-Israel slurs outside before the protesters came in. In a video she recorded, a protester defended the choice of location by saying the event was “hosting genocide supporters” in Koreatown.
Mayor Bass denounces incident, orders increased security
Bass said she spoke with the synagogue’s senior rabbi, Joel Nickerson, and directed the LAPD to expand patrols around religious sites.
“This behavior is abhorrent and has no place in Los Angeles,” Bass said in a statement. “I assured Rabbi Nickerson that the city stands with Wilshire Boulevard Temple and fully condemns these attacks.”
Nickerson thanked city leaders and law enforcement. “No one in Los Angeles should face intimidation or harassment because of their faith,” he said.
Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s Koreatown campus includes a synagogue sanctuary, schools and a community center.
Part of a pattern targeting synagogue-hosted events
The incident is the latest in a series of protests in which activists have targeted events connected to Israel that happen to be hosted at synagogues. Jewish organizations say the tactic has expanded in recent months, regardless of whether the programming is religious.
Jewish Federation condemns intrusion as antisemitic
The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles said members of its Community Security Initiative participated in the program as panelists and attendees.
“We are cooperating with law enforcement to ensure accountability for those responsible,” the federation said. “We condemn this antisemitic behavior in the strongest possible terms. Hate disguised as political dissent has no place in Los Angeles.”
Police have not released details about the two individuals arrested, and the investigation remains ongoing.