A Westport, Conn. temple and several Westport schools were briefly put on lockdown Tuesday after a security scare at a temple luncheon.
Two protesters tried to crash a women’s luncheon around 1 p.m. at Temple Israel where former Israeli Defense Force leaders were giving a speech, police said.
The two men, who identified themselves as college students, arrived at the temple but were told to leave, police said. The protesters ignored the temple staff and tried to go in the meeting space when staff physically prevented them from entering and a struggled ensued, police said. One witness said someone shouted there was a gun after seeing a protester with a shirt draped over his arm and people started to run for the exits and reported the gun to police.
After reports of a gun, authorities put the Coleytown Middle School, Coleytown Elementary School, the Temple Israel Nursery, and a pre-school on lockdown. The incident happened as the temple’s pre-school was being let out.
Two men, both 25-year-olds from New Haven, were arrested and charged with criminal trespass and breach of peace They said they were protesting the Israeli Defense Forces, according to police.
