The Azrieli Junction and the Ayalon Highway were opened to traffic on Tuesday evening following violent confrontations between police forces and demonstrators from the Ethiopian community who are protesting the death of Solomon Tekah, who was shot dead by an off duty police officer in Haifa on Sunday.
Edited by: JV Staff
The police used crowd dispersal measures.
One of the demonstrators set fire to a vehicle that was in the area. A fire truck that arrived at the scene was pelted with rocks. The person who set fire to the vehicle was arrested.
“End the killing, end the racism,” chanted demonstrators at Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Junction as they first waded across the Ayalon Highway, which traverses the length of Israel’s second city. The motorists who failed to get through soon saw the protest swell to hundreds as traffic ground to a halt.
The police said that they had arrested 16 protesters who were hurling stones and cinder blocks at them during a demonstration in the northern town of Kiryat Ata.
Police forces operating at the entrance to the city of Jerusalem pushed the demonstrators to the side of the road, allowing traffic to flow through the exit and entrance to the city. The roadblock was removed and the road was opened to vehicular traffic.
Following an emergency discussion held Tuesday evening by the Minister of Public Security and the Acting Police Commissioner, it was decided to end the policy of containing the violence.
“In light of the severe acts of violence on the part of many demonstrators, which led to the injuring of dozens of police officers during the last 24 hours and the violation of government symbols, Acting Commissioner Moti Cohen instructed not to allow any violence and to act firmly against lawbreakers,” the police said.
“Accordingly, the police are now working to disperse the demonstrators and stop the violence while using force in order to prevent further damage to lives, property and all road users,” added the police.
President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday evening called to refrain from violent acts during the protest of the Ethiopian community.
“I call upon all of us, within the rift, to maintain restraint and moderation. The anger must not be expressed through violence. The few protesters who chose violence are not the face of the protest and must not be the face of the protest that we all understand very much. Let us sit together with all the bodies responsible for the security of the citizens of Israel. Only in this way, in an open discourse, will we reach a change,” he tweeted. (INN)
