Police: Decision on gay parade is complicated
Police chiefs discuss gay pride parade, say force is capable of securing event in Jerusalem but possess concrete intelligence that lives could be endangered
Police Chief Moshe Karadi said Sunday that police face "one of the most difficult decisions" on whether to allow the gay pride arade to take place as planned in Jerusalem.
Karadi convened a meeting with senior police officials to discuss a plan to secure the event.
Police have drawn a security plan codenamed 'All the Rainbow's Colors' to secure the event on Friday.
Jerusalem District commander Ilan Franco said: "The question is not whether the police have the means because we do have that. But there is difficult intelligence. The question we need to ask pertain to people's lives, and there are intelligence tips according to which there is danger to human life if the parade is held."
Speaking about riots that broke out lately in haredi neighborhoods in Jerusalem, he said: "We were not surprised by the height of the flames. Lately we arrested about 100 people. A number of police officers were injured and cruisers were damaged. But these events will not rule whether the parade will taka place or not, but intelligence."
Hundreds of haredim took to the streets of Jerusalem Saturday night, setting fire to everything flammable, uprooting a traffic light and assaulting both policemen and civilians. One policeman was lightly wounded and substantial damage was caused to public and police property. Six haredi youths were arrested.
"The Nazis are coming, run!" was the catchphrase of the night, with haredi youths warning each other in Yiddish of advancing police officers trying to restore order to central Jerusalem.
Karadi and Franco will meet with Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to decide whether to allow the parade to take place.
A High Court ruling gave granted police the right to cancel the parade should it estimate that people's lives would be endangered if it were to be held.
