Clashes broke out Thursday between security forces and more than 250 Palestinian demonstrators and left-wing Israelis activists protesting the building of a controversial security fence near the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Several protesters, among them Israeli citizens, were reportedly injured when IDF soldiers used stun grenades and tear gas to scatter the crowd.
Israeli-Arab Knesset members Mohammad Barakeh (Hadash-Ta’al) and Abdulmalik Dehamshe (United Arab List), who also participated in the protest, said they were victims of "police brutality."
“Police fired tear gas half a meter away from us, even after I identified myself,” Barakeh told Ynetnews, adding that he was injured in the leg and beaten by security forces. "If this is the way they treat Knesset members, it's not surprising that Palestinians are killed in cold blood.”
'Not one stone was thrown'
Protesters claimed there was no reason for the “exaggerated violence” by police and soldiers.
Protester Yonatan Pollak said the demonstration started peacefully.
“Not one stone was thrown – all the networks’ cameras can prove it,” he said. “Police acted in an unprecedented brutal manner, without reason.”
IDF officials said the protesters became rowdy, and therefore they were left with no choice but to use tear gas and stun grenades.
While officials denied claims that Barakeh had been beaten, they did confirm he had been “lightly injured” in the leg from a stun grenade.
- Efrat Weiss contributed to this report.
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