Sheila Paras/Getty Images A 69-year-old Jewish man has died from injuries reportedly sustained from a pro-Palestinian protester while at a rally in Westlake on Sunday. Late Monday, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as Thousand Oaks resident Paul Kessler.
The incident was captured on camera, and the video was circulating on social media throughout the day.
🚨#BREAKING: A Jewish man has died as a result of a head injury after being assaulted by a pro-Palestinian protester with a megaphone.
According to Los Angeles law enforcement, they confirmed late Monday that a Jewish man has died as a result of a… pic.twitter.com/iiGIMybA4o
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) November 7, 2023
According to a Monday press release from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the confrontation occurred at around 3:20 pm on Sunday on the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard, where dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests were being held. “Witness accounts indicated that Kessler was involved in a physical altercation with counter-protestor(s),” the press release stated. “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.”
The coroner’s office concluded that Kessler died of a blunt force head injury and that his death was a homicide. The investigation remains ongoing and police have not ruled out a hate crime.
“We are devastated to learn of the tragic death of an elderly Jewish man who was struck in the head by a megaphone wielded by a pro-Palestinian protestor in Westlake Village,” the Los Angeles Jewish Federation said in a statement. “While we wait for more information from our law enforcement partners, we remind you that this is the fourth major antisemitic crime committed in Los Angeles this year alone.”
ADL Santa Barbara/Tri-Counties Regional Director Dan Meisel said in a statement: “We are heartbroken to learn that an elderly Jewish man died after an apparent confrontation at a Pro-Palestinian demonstration in Westlake, CA. We call on law enforcement to launch a thorough investigation to determine who is responsible and what was the motivation for this tragic and senseless death.”
This is a developing story.
UPDATE: Journalist Christina Buttons posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, some photos and videos taken from the scene of the attack.
BREAKING: This is the last photo of Paul Kessler taken just 5 minutes before he was attacked by an anti-Israel protester yesterday afternoon. I received photos and videos from a source at the scene. pic.twitter.com/QBbLIO0lBM
— Christina Buttons (@buttonslives) November 7, 2023
Anti-Israel protesters resume chanting as Paul Kessler is taken away in an ambulance.
“As a man is being taken away on an ambulance for being knocked unconscious… this is the kind of respect these Palestinian protesters are giving.” — source from the scene of the deadly attack. pic.twitter.com/BLBoOhXoO9— Christina Buttons (@buttonslives) November 7, 2023
An anti-Israel protester appears to show concern for Paul Kessler by placing a sign she was carrying (which says she’s a pediatrician) under his bleeding head. However, minutes later, she can be seen and heard smiling and laughing in a video taken by a source at the scene. pic.twitter.com/y0fjYOsBMD
— Christina Buttons (@buttonslives) November 7, 2023
Additional photos sent to me by a source at the scene of Paul Kessler’s attack: pic.twitter.com/AO2zdeKFwK
— Christina Buttons (@buttonslives) November 7, 2023
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