Mayhem At Crown Heights Chabad; 12 People In Custody: NYPD

CROWN HEIGHTS, NY ? Mayhem at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights landed 12 people in custody Monday as damage underground was scheduled for repairs, according to police and Chabad representatives.

On Monday evening, a cement truck was scheduled to repair the damage done some time ago by "extremist students" who had constructed an illicit, secret tunnel under the headquarters according to Motti Seligson, Chabad's Director of Media, and The Forward.

With the cement truck en route, a group of people "unlawfully entered" the famous building ? which serves as the Chabad Lubavitch Headquarters ? on Eastern Parkway near Kingston Avenue Monday, according to the NYPD.

According to Seligson, the group rushed in to "preserve their unauthorized access."

Viral video shows scores of "extremist" Lubavitchers' clashing with police and revealing the gigantic tunnel, which was first discovered in December and was said to cause structural damage to the women's section of the shul, according to Crownheights.info.

"They have since been arrested and the building closed pending a structural safety review," Seligson said in a Tweet.

The tunnel's purpose is unclear, but according to The Forward, it could be related to a longstanding property dispute. A "leaked" video of a tunnel was published on the Crownheights.info Instagram page.

"Lubavitch officials have attempted to gain proper control of the premises through the New York State court system; unfortunately, despite consistently prevailing in court, the process has dragged on for years," Seligson said.

Chabad Lubavitch leadership also condemned the behavior of the "young agitators" Monday.

"These odious actions will be investigated, and the sanctity of the synagogue will be restored," said Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, chairman of Chabad-Lubavitch Headquarters, in a statement.

"We are grateful for the outpouring of concern, and for the support of our Chabad-Lubavitch institutions around the world."

Police put 12 people in custody but charges were still pending Tuesday, police said.

City Council Member Crystal Hudson said much of the online discourse had turned hateful in the wake of Monday's chaos, and affirmed her district's inclusivity.

"In the hours after the incident at 770 E. Pkwy, online discourse has been plagued by the propagation of vile antisemitic rhetoric and tropes. Our City remains a place where hate will not be tolerated, and I remain committed to nurturing a safe, inclusive community for all people," Hudson said in a statement posted to social media.

Patch's Peter Senzamici contributed to this report.

This article was updated at 5:15 p.m. to reflect a statement from City Council Member Crystal Hudson.