Jewish man dies after violent clashes between furious Israel-Palestine rallies in California
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the incident was a hate crime
A Jewish man who fell backwards and hit his head during rival pro-Israel and pro-Palestine rallies, had died.
Paul Kessler, 69, suffered a fatal wound to the head during the competing protests in California.
His cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma and his death has been ruled as a homicide.
Ventura Country Sheriff’s Department said authorities had not ruled out the possibility that the incident was a hate crime.
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“Witness accounts indicated that Kessler was involved in a physical altercation with counter-protestor(s),” the sheriff’s office said.
“During the altercation, Kessler fell backwards and struck his head on the ground.”
As of yesterday evening, no suspect has been taken into custody.
Police officers raced to an intersection in Thousand Oaks, just outside of Los Angelos on Sunday after reports of an assault.
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Separate pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests occurred simultaneously on Sunday.
Witnesses told cops that Kessler was involved in a physical altercation with a pro-Palestine protestor, when he fell backwards and hit his head.
He was quickly rushed to the hospital but died from his injuries the same day.
"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," a statement from the Sherriff said.
Kessler was quickly rushed to the hospital but died from his injuries the same day
Deputies asked the public for help in what it called "an active and ongoing investigation."
The sheriff's office said it would hold a press conference on Tuesday about the incident.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles identified the victim as a Jewish man and labeled the incident as the "fourth major antisemitic crime committed in Los Angeles this year."
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, without citing a source, said in a statement that pro-Palestinian protesters struck Kessler on the head with a megaphone.
They described it as an antisemitic crime.
"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," the federation said.