A judge has ordered all of the protesters, who were arrested in the Israeli city of Haifa, released early Monday. The order comes after allegations of police brutality against demonstrators and the announcement of a probe into the claims by the Israeli Justice Ministry’s Police Investigation Department.
NOW: After all-night hearing, legal team secures release of all #Haifa protesters! Court throws out police claims protesters attacked officers; @AdalahEnglish: We turned courtroom into space where #Israeli #police violence was exposed & rejected. https://t.co/kNBlUQksXA pic.twitter.com/RRI8gRyH8A
— Adalah (@AdalahEnglish) May 21, 2018
Judge Amir Salameh of Haifa Magistrate’s Court ordered 12 of the 19 detainees be released immediately, while stating the other seven, suspected of assaulting a police officer, would be released Tuesday.
>> Activist Jafar Farah accuses the police of breaking his leg while in detention. "What happened in the past two days in Haifa is a shame on democracy," Farah said after his release https://t.co/SplwWNfAZ4
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) May 21, 2018
Chairman of the Joint List, a coalition of Arab-dominated political parties in Israel, Ayman Odeh, told Haaretz “police forces brutally oppressed the protest without any explanation… I am full of appreciation for the protesters tonight and the immense sacrifice of the detainees. No police brutality will succeed in silencing us.”
People who participated in the solidarity w/ #Gaza protest in Haifa on Friday described how dozens of @IL_police officers created a ring around them & started tightening the ring while beating every protester they can reach inside it. Here's a video from inside that police ring pic.twitter.com/L6xqirpnOv
— Asaf Ronel (@AsafRonel) May 21, 2018
During the demonstrations protesters shouted “down with the occupation, stop fascism” and showed solidarity with Gaza residents.
'Police broke my knee, threatened my doctors': 21 arrested at Haifa protest https://t.co/0IN9gwkI5G via @972mag
— Lisa Goldman (@lisang) May 21, 2018
They waved four large letters in bright red, with the word “Gaza” and chanted slogans including “Jews and Arabs, we are not enemies.”
Now: hundreds of Jews and Palestinians in Haifa, protesting against the siege and killing in Gaza. On Friday, 22 demonstrators were violently arrested here for a similar protest.
Via +972 Magazine twitter pic.twitter.com/Ms9sKh5ORJ
— Hommedumonde1973 (@RobertBoudrias) May 21, 2018
Over 100 Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops on the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel since mass demonstrations started on March 30, according to Health authorities in Gaza.
"The Israelis and their American friends are dancing. They are celebrating while my people have dug 58 more graves just today," Dr Ramzy Baroud said. "They have danced on our graves for far too long." https://t.co/syeB5s2tFa pic.twitter.com/DEv2jmoqIY
— Ramzy Baroud (@RamzyBaroud) May 19, 2018
Last Monday, thousands of Palestinians protested as Washington officially moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after recognizing the disputed city as the capital of Israel.
Israeli Arabs, the descendants of Palestinians, who remained on their land after Israel was created in 1948, represent just over 17 percent of the Israeli population according to estimates.
(TeleSur, PC, Social Media)
