Pro-Palestinian mob accused of attacking Jewish diners in LA, possible hate crime

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An alleged violent attack on Jewish diners by a mob of pro-Palestinian supporters in Los Angeles on Tuesday night was being investigated as a possible hate crime, and triggered condemnation from Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Video footage of the attack posted to social media shows a group attacking at least two people outside the Sushi Fumi restaurant in the city's Beverly Grove neighborhood, west of downtown Los Angeles.

In a pair of tweets addressing the violence, Garcetti, a Democrat, wrote there was "no place for anti-Semitism, discrimination, or prejudice of any kind in Los Angeles. And we will never tolerate bigotry and violence in our communities."

"We as a city condemn last night's organized, anti-Semitic attack," he added. "Jewish Angelenos, like all residents, should always feel safe in our city."

In various video clips, one man was seen being thrown to the ground while another grabs a line divider pole separating the sidewalk from an outdoor dining area and swings it at the attackers. 

He then tried to run away, but two men grabbed him, kicked him and punched him before they ran off seconds later.

In a subsequent video, a witness was heard off-camera saying a group of pro-Palestinian supporters were in a car and got out near the restaurant. 

"A group of Palestinians, about 30 of them, jumped out of a car and asked who was Jewish," the person said. "Two guys said they were and they proceeded to beat them up."

Moments before the attack, a group of Palestinian supporters were in a vehicle waving a giant flag and shouting anti-Semitic slurs through a megaphone, according to additional footage. 

"Somebody in one of the cars driving by started throwing glass bottles or glass cups at the tables and they shattered everywhere," an unidentified woman told KCBS-TV.

No one was seriously hurt. 

In another incident captured on surveillance video, a vehicle with Palestinian flag-waving passengers appeared to be chasing an Orthodox Jewish man through a parking lot. 

City Councilman Paul Kortez, who has represented the neighborhood on the 15-member panel, called both attacks "unconscionable."

"We will never allow for anyone to strike fear into our hearts because we are Jews," he said in a statement. "We are not going to allow the violence in the Middle East to spill out onto the streets of Los Angeles.

"Everyone is entitled to express their opinion but never through violence," he added. "Pro-Palestinian protestors cannot be allowed to viciously assault random people on the street because they happen to look or be Jewish."

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An employee at the sushi restaurant hung up when a Fox News reporter inquired about Tuesday's incident. The Los Angeles Police Department told Fox News the case was being investigated as a hate crime and three suspects were being sought. 

The attacks came amid escalating violence between Israeli military forces and Hamas, the governing body in the Gaza Strip. Both sides have retaliated against one another through rocket attacks and airstrikes, resulting in dozens of deaths and widespread property damage.