69-year-old killed during dueling protests over Israel-Hamas conflict

A 69-year-old man died after getting into an altercation while two sides rallied over the Israel-Hamas conflict Sunday afternoon.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office identified the 69-year-old man as Paul Kessler, a pro-Israel protester. The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles described him as an “elderly Jewish man.” They claimed a pro-Palestinian protester struck him with a megaphone during an “antisemitic crime.”

“Violence against our people has no place in civilized society,” the Jewish Federation said in a statement. “We demand safety. We will not tolerate violence against our community. We will do everything in our power to prevent it.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations denounced the alleged attack and expressed their support for the Jewish community.

Read more: CBS News