Protest expert: Pro-Palestinian protesters often harm their own cause

A violent anti-Israel demonstration near a Los Angeles synagogue that quickly descended into chaos is likely to have the opposite effect to that intended by Palestinian supporters, an expert tells Fox News Digital.

On June 23, violence broke out between supporters of Israel and opponents of the war against Hamas outside the Adas Torah Synagogue. The clashes in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood of Pico-Robertson escalated into a brawl and at least one person was arrested after the troublemakers allegedly attempted to physically block the entrance to the building and harassed and intimidated those attempting to enter the synagogue.

“What you are seeing is something that does absolutely nothing for the Palestinian people,” said Adam Swart, CEO and founder of Crowds on Demand, a California-based company The company specializes in assembling crowds for protests on demand, Fox News Digital said. “They are alienating one of their potential most important allies, which is left-leaning Jewish Americans,” who Swart said often oppose Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and do not support Israel’s war in Gaza.

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Supporters of Israel clash with pro-Palestinian protesters blocking access to the Adas Torah Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Los Angeles, June 23, 2024. (David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images)

Demonstrations in support of the Palestinians have been raging for months since Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping hundreds more, including some Americans. The conflict has sparked a humanitarian crisis in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

However, the June 23 incident prompted President Biden to condemn threats against Jewish members of the Adas Torah Synagogue.

“I am appalled by the scenes outside the Adas Torah Synagogue in Los Angeles. Intimidating Jewish community members is dangerous, unconscionable, anti-Semitic and un-American,” Biden said in a post on X.

Police in riot gear try to restore order after a violent clash between Israel supporters and Palestinians in front of the Adas Torah Synagogue in Los Angeles. (Getty Images)

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the Los Angeles Police Department have come under fire from protesters on both sides for failing to prevent the demonstration from escalating.

“A more proactive response – by initially keeping protesters across the street and separated from counter-protesters – would have prevented the violence we saw at the end of the demonstration,” Adas Torah said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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President Biden said he was “appalled” by the incident outside a synagogue in Los Angeles. (Getty Images)

However, the police are right to be reluctant to arrest protesters, no matter how misguided they may be, because the authority wants to promote freedom of expression, said Swart.

“The challenge is to tolerate acts of violence,” he said. “The police see this as a pro-Palestinian protest, so we have to treat it as a protest and not as a mob, a racist mob attacking passersby. As someone who organizes protests for a living, I hate it when this is called a protest.”

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the Justice Department would investigate the weekend’s demonstration. He said the agency’s Civil Rights Division, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California were gathering evidence in the matter.

“I pledge to the Jewish community that this Department of Justice will do everything in its power to keep the community safe,” he said during a press conference on anti-Semitic crimes. “And as Attorney General, I will do everything in my power to make that happen.”

Eldar Avital, 12, left, joins pro-Israel supporters in condemning a violent protest last weekend outside the Adas Torah Synagogue as members of the Jewish community gathered at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles on Monday. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Swart noted that violent or illegal actions by protesters against Israel actually do a “disservice” to the Palestinians by alienating potential supporters and partners who may feel put off by their intransigent and confrontational tactics.

“This is no longer about Palestine,” he said. “This is an excuse for ‘anarchist mobs’ to commit violence and property damage and somehow justify it by citing the suffering of people 8,000 miles away who have absolutely nothing to gain from their actions.”

Crowds on Demand has received around 200 requests to participate in protests on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Swart said.

“This is a pretext for ‘anarchist mobs’ to commit violence and property damage and somehow justify it by the suffering of people 8,000 miles away…”

An armed private security guard stands outside the front doors of the Adas Torah Synagogue on Monday, June 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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“We are staying out of this issue for now because we see no constructive way to get involved,” he said, adding that the company has turned down other lucrative requests that are inconsistent with its values, which include making the United States and the world a better place.

Bradford Betz of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.