Small clashes between Jews and Arabs, as well as between left- and right-wing activists broke out along the route of the Jerusalem Day Flag March
on Wednesday. The procession in honor of Jerusalem Day, honoring the
44th anniversary of the capital's reunification, began in the east
Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, winding
through the Old City and ending at the Western Wall where a rally was scheduled to take place.
Three people were slightly injured and 24 people were arrested as tens of
thousands of people took part in the march, amidst increased patrols of
police, Border Police and volunteers who were deployed throughout the capital until the conclusion of events on Wednesday.
“Police will be patrolling in the small alleys inside the Old City in
order to reduce friction between the sides and will act decisively
against anyone who tries to cause provocations,” Jerusalem police
spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said earlier this week.
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initial clashes broke out in the area next to Jewish homes in Sheikh Jarrah. Some 50 left- and right-wing activists, including National Union MK
Michael Ben Ari, were involved in the altercation. Two left-wing activist
were removed from the area and taken for interrogation by police.
Police said the left wing activists did not have permission to
demonstrate.
In a separate incident, a marcher entered a mosque in Sheikh Jarrah with
an Israeli flag and was arrested by police forces. The marcher was
taken into custody for interrogation.
The area near Nablus Gate
in the capital saw a rock-throwing battle between Jewish marchers and
Arabs in the area. Security forces separated the two sides. One marcher
and one Arab were
lightly injured in the incident. MDA paramedics evacuated the injured
parties
for medical treatment.
An additional five marchers were arrested in the Nablus Gate area for allegedly
attempting to assault Arabs while calling out nationalistic slogans. A
woman was also arrested for allegedly yelling anti-Semitic epithets at
marchers passing by.
Another marcher received a light head injury from a stone thrown at him near Rockefeller Junction, where additional clashes were reported. Two Arab stone-throwers were arrested for involvement in the incident and a tourist was detained for attacking marchers. The injured marcher was evacuated to the hospital.
The clashes were not, however contained to the route of the Jerusalem
Day March. Border police arrested seven people for throwing stones at
police forces
in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan on Wednesday, as well. The
suspects were taken into custody for interrogation.