RELATED:Mass left-wing protest in TA“We are prepared for every scenario,” Northern District head Cmdr. Shimon Koren told The Jerusalem Post as he briefed his officers before the disturbances broke out.A white police helicopter hovered overhead as police took up their positions, and a group of youths waved Palestinian and Turkish flags and burned tires further down the road.“If it turns out Sheikh [Raed] Salah [head of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement] is injured, there will be big problems here and across the Arab areas,” said Ibrahim Mahajane, a young resident of the town, as he looked on the unfolding disturbances.“Salah is our leader, not just here, but for all the Arabs in Israel. I believe Israel set out to kill him,” he said.“But this isn’t just about Salah,” he added. “It’s about what happened to the Gaza boats. Why couldn’t they let them bring aid to Gaza?”He said he hoped “things will be calm, but I doubt they will be.”Minutes later, several volleys of large stones were hurled by theyouths at police. A number of rocks were also thrown at the press.Officersdefended themselves with large shields and absorbed volley after volleyfor several minutes before a police jeep suddenly lunged forward at thestone-throwers, with riot police following in a sprint.The surprised stone-throwers retreated into the town’s streets, but were pursued by the officers and dodged stun grenades.Amasked stone-thrower was wrestled to the ground and arrested,handcuffed and bundled into a police vehicle. Police later said the manwas 24 years old and had been taken in for questioning.Hisfriends, who had gotten away, then regrouped further from the policeand began hurling rocks, chanting, “Allahu Akbar,” from a row of homesabove the town’s entrance. Border Police fired tear gas canisters todisperse the crowds.“We will allow protests, but we will showzero tolerance toward any disturbances of the peace,” Koren said in astatement on Monday evening, as intermittent rioting continued in Ummel-Fahm.Nearby, on Route 77, Arab youths burned tires andtemporarily blocked off the highway. Police reopened the artery totraffic shortly afterward.Police and the Prisons Serviceremained at their highest state of alert on Monday following anevaluation by police chief Insp.-Gen. David Cohen and Public SecurityMinister Yitzhak Aharonovitch.Aharonovitch, who had earliercanceled a planned appearance at an anti-violence march in the mixedcity of Lod, said, “We will do all that is required to safeguard publicorder.”
3 arrested, hurled rocks in Umm el-Fahm
We will allow protests, but not disturbances says senior cop.
RELATED:Mass left-wing protest in TA“We are prepared for every scenario,” Northern District head Cmdr. Shimon Koren told The Jerusalem Post as he briefed his officers before the disturbances broke out.A white police helicopter hovered overhead as police took up their positions, and a group of youths waved Palestinian and Turkish flags and burned tires further down the road.“If it turns out Sheikh [Raed] Salah [head of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement] is injured, there will be big problems here and across the Arab areas,” said Ibrahim Mahajane, a young resident of the town, as he looked on the unfolding disturbances.“Salah is our leader, not just here, but for all the Arabs in Israel. I believe Israel set out to kill him,” he said.“But this isn’t just about Salah,” he added. “It’s about what happened to the Gaza boats. Why couldn’t they let them bring aid to Gaza?”He said he hoped “things will be calm, but I doubt they will be.”Minutes later, several volleys of large stones were hurled by theyouths at police. A number of rocks were also thrown at the press.Officersdefended themselves with large shields and absorbed volley after volleyfor several minutes before a police jeep suddenly lunged forward at thestone-throwers, with riot police following in a sprint.The surprised stone-throwers retreated into the town’s streets, but were pursued by the officers and dodged stun grenades.Amasked stone-thrower was wrestled to the ground and arrested,handcuffed and bundled into a police vehicle. Police later said the manwas 24 years old and had been taken in for questioning.Hisfriends, who had gotten away, then regrouped further from the policeand began hurling rocks, chanting, “Allahu Akbar,” from a row of homesabove the town’s entrance. Border Police fired tear gas canisters todisperse the crowds.“We will allow protests, but we will showzero tolerance toward any disturbances of the peace,” Koren said in astatement on Monday evening, as intermittent rioting continued in Ummel-Fahm.Nearby, on Route 77, Arab youths burned tires andtemporarily blocked off the highway. Police reopened the artery totraffic shortly afterward.Police and the Prisons Serviceremained at their highest state of alert on Monday following anevaluation by police chief Insp.-Gen. David Cohen and Public SecurityMinister Yitzhak Aharonovitch.Aharonovitch, who had earliercanceled a planned appearance at an anti-violence march in the mixedcity of Lod, said, “We will do all that is required to safeguard publicorder.”