9 Jewish students arrested for brawling with police trying to fill in secret tunnel underneath historic Brooklyn Synagogue

A group of Jewish students were arrested after they tried to stop police from filling in a tunnel dug underneath a historic synagogue in Brooklyn, New York.

Officials were tipped off to the presence of the tunnel that led to the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights.

Chabad spokesperson Motti Seligson said that a "group of extremist students" dug the tunnel in an attempt to expand the synagogue to a row of nearby office buildings.

Police said nine young males were arrested after a riot ensued from students refusing to leave the tunnel so that police could fill it with cement.

Videos show furniture being tossed about and people shoving police before one officer deploys an irritant spray at the group.

The nine men were charged with criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. They were all between the ages of 19 and 21 years old.

The religious organization released a statement thanking the NYPD and blaming "agitators" for the tunnel.

"The Chabad-Lubavitch community is pained by the vandalism of a group of young agitators who damaged the synagogue below Chabad Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway Monday night," read the statement.

"These odious actions will be investigated, and the sanctity of the synagogue will be restored," they added. "Our thanks to the NYPD for their professionalism and sensitivity. We are grateful for the outpouring of concern, and for the support of our Chabad-Lubavitch institutions around the world."

New York City Fire Department spokesperson Amanda Farinacci said that the tunnel was not detected by a fire prevention team when they inspected the synagogue on Dec. 20.

The synagogue says that they have tried to use the New York court system to gain control of the premises but that their efforts have dragged on for years.

On Tuesday, the synagogue had been closed in order for officials to determine whether the structural integrity of the famed building had been undermined by the tunnel. Worshippers prayed outside in the rain while it was shut down.

“The community feels terrible,” said Baruch Dahan, a student of the synagogue. “It’s a disgrace, instead of expanding, they destroyed.”

The news of the Jewish tunnels beneath the streets of New York City led to countless viral memes on social media.

Here's a video about the incident:

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