Video reveals the inside of a secret underground tunnel beneath an historic New York City synagogue, after its discovery ended with a surreal brawl between worshippers and police.
Footage shared on Instagram takes viewers downstairs and through to a dirt-filled room where a grate measuring around two-foot-by-two-foot has been taken off from the wall.
In the clip, shared by @CrownHeights.Info, the videographer then crawls through the opening, which leads to a dirt tunnel reported to be around 50 feet long, around two corners to the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters.
In photos shared on CrownHeights.Info’s website, a beer can be seen on the side of the tunnel and a hanging electrical wire.
READ MORE: Riot breaks out inside NYC synagogue after Jewish men climb into illegal tunnels
Clothes and other items can be seen scattered about the adjacent building’s dirt-filled room, apparently left behind by rogue members of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, alleged to have carved out the secret passageway.
Work on the tunnel dig under the 100-year-old synagogue had reportedly been going on for almost a year.
The tunnel appeared to be designed to reach the abandoned men’s ritual bath – or mikvah – so as to “expand” the synagogue, the Jewish outlet Forward reported.
It wasn’t discovered until last month, after neighbors reported suspicious noises coming from under their homes, according to Israel National News.
Rabbi Motti Seligson, spokesman for Chabad-Lubavitch, told The New York Post: “Some time ago, a group of extremist students broke through a few walls in adjacent properties to the synagogue at 784-788 Eastern Parkway, to provide them unauthorized access.
“Earlier today, a cement truck was brought in to repair those walls. Those efforts were disrupted by the extremists who broke through the wall to the synagogue, vandalizing the sanctuary, in an effort to preserve their unauthorized access.”
“They have since been arrested and the building closed pending a structural safety review.
“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.
“This is, obviously, deeply distressing to the Lubavitch movement, and the Jewish community worldwide. We hope and pray to be able to expeditiously restore the sanctity and decorum of this holy place.”
Another statement issued by the synagogue added that “the group of young agitators” were “primarily in the U.S. on student visas.
“These individuals have been squatting in the synagogue and attempted to take control by demolishing walls to connect the basement to the adjacent building, intending to ‘expand’ the sanctuary,” it said.
“Steps are being taken to revoke their student visas and repatriate them to their countries of origin.”
Structural engineers were brought in by the synagogue leadership to assess the damage the tunnelling had caused.
But when cement mixers arrived to fill it in on Monday, proponents of the tunnel staged a protest and ripped off the wooden siding of the synagogue.
A police spokesperson said officers were called to the building in the afternoon to respond to a disorderly group that was trespassing and damaging a wall.
According to witnesses, police pleaded with the young men to leave the entrance to the tunnel for several hours.
When the men refused, police covered the area with a white curtain and went into the dusty crevasse with zip ties to detain them, they said.
“When they took the first person out with zip ties, that’s when the outburst happened,” said Baruch Dahan, 21, who videotaped the congregants fighting. “Almost everyone was against what they did, but as soon as people saw the handcuffs there was confusion and pushing.”
Footage shared on social media shows multiple onlookers, most of whom are young men, jeering at police, while some lifted wooden desks sending prayer books scattering to the floor.
In response, one officer appeared to use an irritating spray in an attempt to disperse the group.
Nine people, aged between 19 and 22, were ultimately arrested on charges that included criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and obstructing governmental administration, police said. Another three were given summonses for disorderly conduct.
A spokesperson for the Department of Buildings the results of an inspection were pending on Tuesday evening.
