Multiple fights broke out between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine demonstrators outside the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles Wednesday night, following a screening of the film “Bearing Witness.”
The film, produced by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, is a 43-minute compilation of footage from the devastating Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that resulted in more than 1400 deaths and sparked the still ongoing Israel-Hamas war. It has been shown in several private screenings in Israel and in the United States.
The brawls were captured on video by ABC 7 in Los Angeles, which reports that several people were pepper sprayed. As you can see in the video below, police quickly intervened and made several arrests.
The event was attended by around 200 people, among them Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.. The screening was organized by Israeli actress Gal Gadot, though the “Wonder Woman” star did not attend.
The film has generated heated debate; proponents argue that it’s important for people to see the horrors of the Oct. 7 attacks in unflinching detail. Opponents, including some Jewish groups, have blasted the film as “propaganda” and called for boycotts of Gadot’s films.