Once again, brutal police violence in Jerusalem against members of the ultra-orthodox public, in blatant violation of the democratic right to demonstrate, and serious harm to those not involved. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered last night on Yehezkel Street in Jerusalem, to demonstrate and protest against the police’s intention to demand the autopsy of a four-year-old ultra-Orthodox boy from Ramot who died after being suffocated.
The police arrived at the scene, equipped with horsemen and maces, to disperse the stormy demonstration, and severe clashes broke out between the demonstrators and the security forces. Despite the High Court’s instructions and the discussions in the Knesset on the subject, the police again used maces in an attempt to disperse the crowds. During the use, a child who was standing was injured on the sides of the road and was thrown several meters, almost falling hard on an iron sign.
Minutes later, the Makhtazeit was again documented in an action that has nothing to do with dispersing a demonstration, as it directs the water hoses towards the windows of nearby houses, including on the upper floors of the buildings. The ultra-Orthodox journalist Itamar Karmon, who was standing on the sidelines and documented the demonstration and the police violence, was bullied by several policemen, while he shouts at them that he is a journalist and holds an ID card in his hand. “15 YSM police officers attacked me with batons and broke my bones,” he told JDN News.
In the meantime, this week an interview was published with the police reporter of ‘News 12’ Moshe Nussboom, who has ALS – an incurable muscular dystrophy. “We are trying to reconstruct what could have caused it,” he told Dana Weiss in an interview about his visits to the doctors. “The token itself falls only after one of the doctors tells me, ‘Listen, according to all indications you had some kind of stroke.'”
He was hit at the Balfour demonstrations by a direct hose from a Makhtaz Zeit. “The Makhtaz Zeit operator for some reason aimed at me. He hit me from behind and then I slip but don’t fall. I manage to brake. This resistance to the flow of water is so powerful – maybe it was caused by that. I have to tell you that now the trend in the field of ALS research is that what causes the disease to break out is physical trauma.”
The police stated that “in recent hours, violent protests have begun in the area of Shabbat Square and Bar Ilan Street in Jerusalem, and on Nahar Jordan Street in Beit Shemesh, during which hundreds of rioters block roads, riot, throw stones and objects, and burn garbage cans on the spot. The police forces are working to restore order in the place using measures to disperse disturbances. So far, 5 suspects have been arrested for violating public order and the police’s activity to restore order in the place continues. The Israel Police will continue to allow the freedom of protest according to the law, but will not allow violent riots and violation of public order contrary to the law.”