Haredim light J'lem on fire
Open House and police resolve pride parade route but protests continue: Protestors block roads, light trash cans on fire, pour combustible material on street. One driver injured. Police expect escalation as week progresses
Representatives of the homo-lesbian community succeeded in coming to an agreement Monday night with police forces regarding the route for the upcoming pride parade in Jerusalem. The final time of the parade will be determined Tuesday, after additional discussions at the Open House.
The new parade route is truncated, and does not go through the center of the city. There is little pedestrian traffic in the area. Nonetheless, this signifies a triumph for Open House insistence, despite the police stance of authorizing an event, but not a parade.
Jerusalem councilman and gay rights activist Saar Netanel said of the newly approved parade route: "It's not the optimal route, but it still passes by government buildings in the capital of Israel, preserves important objectives of the parade and makes it easier for policemen to protect marchers."
"I hope that just as the gay community knew how to compromise, dialogue and struggle in a democratic manner, so will opponents of the parade," he added.
Nonetheless, protests against the imminent pride parade did not cease Monday evening, including a fake explosive placed in a public place and attempts by haredi youths to block streets by rolling garbage cans into junctions.
In the sixth consecutive day of anti-pride protests in Jewish neighborhoods in the city, haredim are still going strong and police are concerned about possible escalation, pursuant to a recent decision to authorize the parade, despite threats of violence.
A driver was moderately wounded when haredim rolled a garbage can into the street; he was taken to Hadassah hospital. At the same time, policemen detained a haredi youth after he threw stones at them.
In another incident, a policeman was lightly injured while detaining a haredi protestor.He was taken to Hadassah hospital for treatment.
Protests Monday began earlier than they had previously. Around 6 p.m., a fake explosive was found in a bag, adjacent to a gas station in the city. The bag, filled with stones and metal scraps, bore the inscription: A protest against the pride parade.
At about the same time, a few dozen haredi protestors arrived at two central junctions, attempting to roll garbage cans into the street. A police force prevented them from doing so.
Earlier in the afternoon, haredim arrived at Mount Herzl and attempted to block the junction with trash cans and with their own bodies. Police forces were called in to disperse them.
On a different street, news photographers were attacked by haredim, but luckily escaped, with the help of police, with no casualties.
At around 8 p.m., haredi protestors blocked a major Jerusalem round about and set trash cans ablaze. In another location, parade opponents poured oil and other combustible materials onto the street, which was subsequently closed.
Ongoing violence
Sunday, during riots in the religious Mea Shaarim neighborhood, 20 policeman and border guard policemen were injured. Eighteen of them are suffering from breaks and bruises because of stones thrown at them.Vehicles were also damages as a result of the stone-throwing. In Beit Shemesh alone, five police vehicles were damaged, traffic lights were uprooted and additional property damages were sustained.
Monday night, haredim passed out fliers in their neighborhoods, calling on residents to continue coming out to protest the pride parade. Area police forces are on heightened alert.
Concurrently, talks are still underway between police and Open House representatives. The two sides are anticipated to reach an agreement Thursday afternoon regarding the location and route of the march.
