Police Commissioner Insp.-Gen. Yohanan Danino broke his silence over last
weekend’s social justice unrest, and offered backing to his officers in Tel Aviv
over their handling of violent confrontations with activists.
“The events
we experienced over the weekend do not remind us in any way of the wave of
social protests that washed over the country in the summer of 2011,” Danino
said, adding that riots and vandalism “have nothing in common with legitimate
protests and freedom of expression.”
Danino accused activists involved in
the weekend violence of plotting to break the law to create violent scenes, in
order to “place the issue at the top of the national agenda, whatever the
price.”
He said officers did not use too much force, adding that police
have not changed since 2011, when virtually no violent incidents were noted
during large-scale social justice rallies.
“Our policy is clear, we will
allow any expression of legitimate protest, and at the same time, prosecute to
the full anyone who breaks the law,” Danino said.
Responding to Danino’s
comments, Liron Achdut, who was among 14 protesters brought before the Tel Aviv
Magistrate’s Court on Sunday morning for her part in the protest the night
before, said the remarks were “ridiculous.”
Achdut was charged with
resisting arrest and striking Yarkon subdistrict police commander Yoram Ohayon
in the face with a megaphone, both of which she denies.
In a photo and
video widely posted online, Ahdut can be seen during her arrest being led away
by a single riot police officer, while smiling broadly, the two walking
arm-in-arm.
“The complaints about violence from protesters are
ridiculous. We didn’t come to fight police and that is something that doesn’t
interest us. We are people who want a better future, we are not violent people,”
Achdut said Tuesday.
Achdut added that since Saturday night’s protest
“hundreds of photos and videos of police violence have been released but police
have not been able to show one video or photo of attacks on police. If they had
proof they’d show it.”
Alon Lee Green, another one of the protesters
brought before the court, said Tuesday that “there was not and still isn’t any
intention on our part to use violence. The only violence there has been so far
has been from the police and the municipality clerks. Our only goal was to
exercise our rights to protest for social justice.”
Police are holding an
internal inquiry to assess their response to the unrest.