Jewish Man Dies After Altercation at Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations in California
Summary from the AllSides News Team
A 69-year-old Jewish man and pro-Israel demonstrator died after an alleged altercation at a pro-Palestinian demonstration near Los Angeles on Sunday.
The Details: Paul Kessler fell backward and hit his head after being involved in an altercation, and was taken to a hospital where he died the next day. L.A. county officials determined the death to be a homicide and have not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.
For Context: According to local accounts, 100-200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators and a smaller group of pro-Israel demonstrators, have gathered at the intersection of Thousand Oaks and Westlake Boulevards in Thousand Oaks, CA each Sunday for the past three weeks. The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said Kessler “was struck in the head by a megaphone wielded by a pro-Palestinian protestor.” Videos of Kessler laying on the ground and being taken away in an ambulance were widely circulated on X.
How The Media Covered It: The New York Times (Lean Left bias) said Kessler died after a physical altercation “amid pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations,” but did not mention a megaphone. Forward (Center bias), a self-proclaimed independent Jewish publication, said the altercation took place “at a pro-Palestinian demonstration” and that some witnesses reported the megaphone incident while others reported a non-physical verbal altercation. Fox News (Right bias) described the setting as a “pro-Israel rally,” and mentioned the Jewish Federation’s megaphone statement.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Jewish Man Dies After Altercation at Dueling Protests in California![AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Left AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Left](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/bias-leaning-left.png)
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A 69-year-old Jewish man died on Monday from injuries he suffered during a weekend altercation in Southern California over the Israel-Hamas war, and the authorities said they were investigating the incident as a homicide and a possible hate crime.
The dispute occurred Sunday afternoon amid dueling demonstrations at an intersection in Thousand Oaks, Calif., a suburb about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, the authorities said. Deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a physical altercation at the protest site, where pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian factions...
From the Center
Jewish man dies following altercation at pro-Palestinian protest in Greater Los Angeles![AllSides Media Bias Rating: Center AllSides Media Bias Rating: Center](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/bias-center.png)
![](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_300x200/public/Screen-Shot-2023-11-06-at-5.43.0.jpg?itok=bSlYwHBv)
A Jewish man died Monday of injuries sustained during an altercation at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in the Greater Los Angeles area on Sunday, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The office, which is investigating the incident, said it has “not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.”
According to the statement, released Monday evening, Paul Kessler, 69, was suffering from a head injury when sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene of the protest in Thousand Oaks — a city about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles — from...
From the Right
Elderly Jewish man dies after confrontation with pro-Palestinian protester at California rally![AllSides Media Bias Rating: Right AllSides Media Bias Rating: Right](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/bias-right.png)
![](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_300x200/public/Paul-Kessler-holding-Israel-flag.jpeg?itok=RYgf_utL)
An elderly Jewish man attending a pro-Israel rally in California has died after a "physical altercation" with a pro-Palestinian protester, the Ventura County Sheriff's Department announced on Monday evening.
Deputies responded to reports of a battery at a demonstration on West Lake and Thousand Oaks Boulevards after a verbal altercation broke out between 69-year-old Paul Kessler and an unnamed protester on Sunday afternoon, per a department press release.
"Witness accounts indicated that Kessler was involved in a physical altercation with [pro-Palestinian] counter protesters," the release continued. "During the altercation, Kessler fell backwards...
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