Police arresting violent protesters
Photo: Noam 'Dabul' Dvir
As part of the demonstrations which took place across Jerusalem Tuesday evening – at the same time as the funeral procession for the three murdered teens – several protesters turned their anger towards passing Arabs, attacking several of them.
Police forces managed to rescue eight Arabs from the mob and arrested 47 on charges of public disorder, attempted assault of Arab minors, assaulting police officers, and property damage.
A number of incidents were filmed where the protesting mob posed a threat to an individual Arab and police officers struggled to separate and protect an innocent life from the enraged rightwing extremists.
Footage of attempted assaults on Jerusalem Arabs (צילום: נועם דביר)
What began as a march of hundreds of protesters from the Jerusalem Chords Bridge at the city's entrance to the city center deteriorated into a revenge campaign – during which extremist elements targeted local Arabs, who had to be rescued by police.
Footage shared with Ynet shows one Arab man being rescued from the mob and a group of Arab workers being attacked in a parking lot.
Jerusalem District Police deployed units to the field to prevent the assault of Arab residents. Police confirmed that there was an explosive confrontation between inflamed protesters seeking revenge and the Arab population.
Police decided to refuse the protesters entry to the Old City, in an attempt to prevent further lynch attempts.
The protest proceeded towards the city center, where the demonstrators tried to enter the Mahane Yehuda Market. Police had placed officers at the entrance to block the path of the demonstration and prevent further attacks on Arab workers.
At around 7 pm, one Arab youth was walking on Jaffa Street when he was chased down by the mob. One protester managed to kick him before a police unit rescued him and evacuated him in a police cruiser.
Afterwards, a number of protesters entered a McDonald's branch. A masked Jewish youth attempted to attack an Arab employee but was arrested by police.
Another attempted assault was filmed by Ynet, in which protesters charged at a few Arab workers in a parking garage. The Arab youths kept the demonstrators at bay with chairs. One of the workers was hit in the head with a rock. Police arrived on the scene and arrested three young Jews.
One of the victims, Muhammad, had once prevented another Arab youth's lynching in the same square by calling the police: "Two years ago I called the police while an Arab teen named Jamal Juliani was being attacked, and now I have been attacked in his stead."
At the end of the demonstration, one 20-year-old participant said: "Everyone here wants revenge, the ground is burning. People have had enough, one murder after another. If the government won't do it, we will."
Some 400 protesters, including rightwing extremists and Beitar Jerusalem football fans, had blocked the central entrance to the Israeli capital earlier on Tuesday. The demonstrators clashed with police near the Jerusalem Chords Bridge, calling out “Death to the Arabs”, “Muhammad is dead”, and “No Arabs, no bombings.”
The rightwing activists chanted insults to Arab members of Knesset Haneen Zoabi and Adhmad Tibi. The protesters also distributed stickers: “No more government chatter – we demand revenge.” Some of the demonstrators placed the stickers on moving vehicles, and others threw debris at those driving past.