Hundreds participate in Land Day march in Jaffa

President of the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Israelis tells Israel Radio he asked police not to interfere with event.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Palestinian Land Day protest 370 (photo credit: Mohamad Torokman / Reuters)
Palestinian Land Day protest 370
(photo credit: Mohamad Torokman / Reuters)
Arab Israeli commemorations for Land Day continued on Saturday as hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Jaffa for a peaceful march, waving Palestinian flags and carrying protest signs.
Protesters held signs that read "Jaffa is in Danger," and many supporters arrived in the coastal city from cities around the country in order to show solidarity with the continuing Land Day demonstrations.
Mohammad Zeidan, the president of the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel, told Israel Radio he did not expect any run-ins with the police during the demonstration, Israel Radio's Arabic-language channel reported.
Zeidan said he contacted police prior to the Jaffa march, asking them not to interfere with the event, or prevent participants from "fueling discussion." Police responded that they were prepared to respond to any emergency.
On Friday, Palestinians marking the 36th commemoration of Land Day confronted security forces at the Kalandia checkpoint near Jerusalem, and near Beit Hanoun (Erez) in Gaza. One person was reportedly shot dead by IDF troops in Gaza, and hundreds were injured during clashes with Israeli security personnel both at the Kalandia checkpoint and near the Gazan-Israeli border.
MKs Taleb A-Sanaa (United Arab List-Ta'al) and Haneen Zoabi (Balad) also participated in the Jaffa march, alongside members of the local branch of the Islamic Front, according to Israel Radio.
Other demonstrations for Land Day occurred Friday in the Galilee Arab Israeli towns of Kafr Kanna and Deir Hanna, and at Wadi El Naam in the Negev, according to the report.