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Protestors blocking road
Photo: Noam Moskovich

Shalit activists: Minister tried to run us over

Protestors calling for kidanpped soldier's release say minister's driver tried to run them over en route to cabinet meeting

The weekly protest in front of the cabinet meeting nearly ended in disaster – or at least that is what activists at the Free Gilad Shalit campaign headquarters are claiming Sunday.

 

According to the activists, Minister Matan Vilnai's driver tried to run them over after they blocked his path to the Prime Minister's Office.

  

 

As they do every Sunday, dozens of activists arrived to protest in front of the ministers ahead of the cabinet meeting. The protestors stood in the middle of the access road in front of the Israel Museum and blocked access to all vehicles.

 

"We have police authorization to be here in an organized fashion and we block cars in a non-violent way while holding signs and calling out so that the ministers will stop be apathetic and impervious," said Ohad Kaner from the campaign.

 

"Some ministers stop their cars and get out, some only stop when forced to do so, wait a few seconds and go in when we clear the road," Kaner said. "What happened today was gross exaggeration. Vilnai's car went in, saw the protestors blocking the entrance, reversed, u-turned and tried to go at the exit, against traffic."


'The driver asked them nicely to let him through' (Photo: Noam Moskovich)

 

"We took his efforts to evade us seriously and blocked the exit," recalls Kaner. "People were standing right in front of the car and at its sides, but not only did the driver not slow down, he accelerated and tried to go through the protestors and run them over."

 

According to Kaner, protestors of all ages were standing by the car, including both very young and very old protestors who were hit: "He ran amok, people jumped as they were, leaving their flip flops behind on the road." Kaner added that one protestor was injured is making her way to the police station to make an official complaint.

 

Sources close to the minister said in response that the protestors acted with unusual violence towards the ministers.

 

"The minister was on his way to the cabinet meeting. The driver came up against the protestors who were blocking his path, asked them nicely to let him pass, so there was no danger to them, and went through."

 

Attila Somfalvi contributed to this report

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 07.17.11, 13:26
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