At the time, details were scarce, so there were dueling accounts of what happened. Initially, what we did know was that a Jewish man tragically died after an altercation at a protest in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 5. Paul Kessler, 65, was reportedly struck with a megaphone belonging to a pro-Palestinian activist. Kessler suffered internal injuries and succumbed to them on Monday (via KTLA):
A 65-year-old Jewish man has died after an altercation at a pro-Palestinian rally in Thousand Oaks, Jewish community leaders announced on Monday.
The incident unfolded around 3:15 p.m. near the busy intersection of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Westlake Road where, according to fire officials, authorities first received a call of a “fight in progress” with an elderly man “down.”
According to the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, the victim was “struck in the head by a megaphone wielded by a pro-Palestinian protestor.”
A video posted to social media shows the man lying on the ground with an obvious head injury as two people, including a pro-Palestinian demonstrator, try to help.
He was transported to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the Federation said.
At the time, law enforcement is still investigating the incident and related video footage, if any. Reportedly, police didn't have any video evidence of the altercation, according to Rabbi Michael Barclay, who lives in Westlake. The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles has tweeted a statement about the incident, adding that a pro-Palestinian activist assaulted this man.
— Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (@JFedLA) November 7, 2023
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Now, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office officially declared this incident was being investigated as a homicide:
A 69-year-old man, identified as Paul Kessler, died as a result of injuries sustained during an altercation at a Pro-Israeli / Pro-Palestinian event, both of which were occurring simultaneously at the intersection of Westlake Blvd. and Thousand Oaks Blvd. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident and has not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.
On November 5, 2023, at approximately 3:20 PM, multiple citizens called the Ventura County Sheriff’s Communication Center to report a battery had occurred at the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard in the City of Thousand Oaks. The intersection was the location of a Pro-Israeli / Pro-Palestinian demonstration.
Upon arrival, responding deputies located Kessler, who was suffering from a head injury. Witness accounts indicated that Kessler was involved in a physical altercation with counter-protestor(s). 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.
An autopsy was performed on November 6th and the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be blunt force head injury and the manner of death homicide.
This is an active and ongoing investigation, and the incident appears to be isolated and not part of a large effort.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is requesting assistance from the public regarding this ongoing investigation. Anyone who witnessed or has knowledge of the incident, or who was present at the demonstration is encouraged to contact Detective Stump at (805) 384-4745.
Meanwhile, there was a pro-Israel rally in Manhattan’s Upper East Side last night, which was peaceful. It’s as if one side knows how to behave and the other doesn’t.
No vandalism or getting in peoples faces. Weird. https://t.co/e3rQsPX5T7
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) November 7, 2023
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