The march had initially been accredited regardless of issues over potential violence in the course of the warfare on Gaza.
Jerusalem — About 200 Israeli settlers gathered within the centre of West Jerusalem on Thursday night time, making provocative speeches as a part of a march earlier than Israeli police forcefully dispersed them.
The march was anticipated to go in direction of the partitions of the Old City of Jerusalem and enter via Damascus Gate. But police mentioned the marchers violated circumstances that had been set for them by authorities, forcing them to crack down and cancel the permission that had been given for the march.
Similar marches by far-right teams via the Old City of Jerusalem have previously ceaselessly led to violence towards Palestinians and heightened tensions. The Old City is a part of East Jerusalem, which has been beneath unlawful Israeli occupation since 1967.
Thursday’s march sparked even larger issues about potential violence than ordinary as a result of it was deliberate throughout Israel’s warfare on Gaza. Israel’s bombing and artillery fireplace has killed greater than 17,000 folks in Gaza since October 7 when Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 folks and capturing 240 others.
“At first, racist chants were heard on the spot from some of the participants, and at one point, dozens of protesters disobeyed the instructions of the police officers on the spot and advanced without the permission of the police in a wild run for a short distance,” an Israeli police spokesperson mentioned. “The police stopped them after a few tens of metres, and accordingly, an illegal assembly was declared by a police officer.”
“The Israel Police will continue to allow freedom of expression and protest within the limits of the law but will not allow the violation of public order contrary to the law.”
Speaking to Al Jazeera, one of many settlers attending the march described the group’s intent as “to get rid of the Muslim Waqf of the Temple Mount because the Temple Mount belongs only to the Jewish people”, referring to the Jordanian-appointed organisation that manages Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Al-Aqsa, certainly one of Islam’s holiest websites, is also referred to as the Temple Mount and is a holy website for Jews. The website has been on the coronary heart of tensions in Jerusalem for many years.
In latest years, settler assaults on Al-Aqsa Mosque have develop into extra frequent, typically backed by influential politicians equivalent to Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir.
After Thursday’s march was cancelled, the Old City remained closed over fears that the settlers would possibly enter and perform assaults towards residents.
Israel has confronted rising criticism from its allies — specifically the United States — over violence and provocations by settlers within the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/8/israel-police-stop-settlers-march-in-jerusalem-after-racist-chants?traffic_source=rss
