Left-wing activists, settlers clash in Hebron
Some 50 activists arrive in city on holiday eve for protest march despite army prohibition; later charge police 'did nothing to stop settler's aggression.' Jewish community slams police 'cooperation with terror supporters'
Scuffles broke out on Friday afternoon between settlers and left-wing activists in Hebron – with both sides denouncing local police forces.
Shortly after 1:00 pm some 50 activists convened at the Gross Square in the city to join Palestinian residents for a protest rally under PLO flags and banners. Local witnesses said demonstration participants assaulted a Jewish resident.
When IDF officials informed the protestors that the gathering was not authorized, they refused to leave the scene and lay down across one of the city's roads. One of the rally organized has been detained for questioning by the police.
Activists also tried to block the main route leading to the Jewish section of the city, preventing residents from accessing or leaving their homes. Police troops were alerted to the scene after the confrontation deteriorated into a brawl and separated the opposing sides.
The activists were then escorted to a bus, presumably to leave the city, but its passage was blocked by a group of settlers, forcing the driver to return to the police station.
Eventually the bus departed in the direction of Jerusalem with a police escort, but not before it was pelted with eggs by right-wing activists.
"The police did nothing to stop the settler's attacks and chose instead to arrest the left's activists instead and take them to the police station," said the outraged activists, adding that they had also been attacked with rocks and were delayed for a lengthy period of time at the police station.
Meanwhile the Committee of the Jewish Community of Hebron also had harsh words for local law enforcement. "Police here regularly allow anarchist groups, extreme left-wing activists and terror supports to stage provocations here in the city. Today the police allowed them to block the only road into the Jewish sector. We denounce this act and demand the provocations stop, they should be kept away from Jewish communities."
The committee demanded an investigation into the "cooperation between police and groups supporting terror." Hebron's Jews will respond accordingly, they warned.
