Arrests and injuries while confronting the “flags dance” march in Jerusalem
On Tuesday, the occupation forces suppressed the Jerusalemites in the Damascus Gate area and evacuated it by force to secure the settlers' march, the "flags dance", while clashes erupted in the streets of Jerusalem, in rejection and protest against the march, which is organized annually in memory of the so-called "unification of Jerusalem", occupying the eastern part of it.
The occupation forces turned the city of Jerusalem into a military zone, by deploying hundreds of forces in its streets and inside the Old City, and in the nearby neighborhoods, and the streets adjacent to it, and closed roads with iron barriers, since 3 p.m., and prevented entry to the streets near Damascus Gate, "Sultan Suleiman and Herods Gate, Al-Musrara and Nablus Street, and into the Old City of Jerusalem.”
The settlers’ march started from Street No. 1, and as soon as they reached the Damascus Gate area, provocations began by insulting the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and chanting racist slogans “Death to the Arabs…There is no Palestine…Leave.” They also said curse words and did provocative moves, in addition to throwing glass, water and juice towards Jerusalemites and press crews.
Despite the continuous repression and the attempt to evacuate the streets, dozens of Palestinians were able to be present in the city’s streets. In the Damascus Gate area, a woman raised the Palestinian flag and was arrested and beaten. Women also chanted slogans throughout the settlers’ march, and at the intersections of roads overlooking the march, they chanted slogans for the Arabic identity of the city. Clashes also erupted in Salah al-Din Street, Herods Gate, Sultan Suleiman Street, Wadi al-Joz, and in Silwan in the evening.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that its crews dealt with 33 injuries during confrontations in the vicinity of the Old City of Jerusalem, due to rubber bullets, beatings and sound grenades. Six injuries were taken to hospital, and a "cardiac shock" injury was taken in for treatment, and the ambulance crews were prevented from treating an injury by a live bullet, and the injured was arrested.
Eyewitnesses reported that the Musta’ribeen (undercover police) fired live bullets resulting in one injury, and was then arrested.
The repression and the evacuation of Damascus Gate Square continued until late at night, by spraying waste water, preventing people from sitting and being in the place, and carrying out arrests.
Tuesday witnessed multiple arrests from the city of Jerusalem, including: Ms. Hala Abu Gharbiya, Ibrahim Al-Huneiti, Abdul Rahman Al-Sharbati, Hussein Attia, Ahmed Attia, Mo’men Al-Tawil, Mahmoud Zayadneh, Sajid Athamneh, Samer Abu Eisha, Omar Al-Ajlouni, Shadi Amira, Mahmoud Abu Asab, Qadri Barbar, Mohammad Nasser, Wael Abdeen, Mohammad Asaad, Mustafa Shweiki, the activist Mohammad Abu Al-Hummos, Mona Al-Ramahi, Suhaib Idris, Muhammad Dweik, Mansour Nasser, Lara Maatouk, and Wala’ Mouawad.
