Police Clash with Tel Aviv Protestors Rallying against Settler Rampage

On Monday, there was a small protest in Tel Aviv, which resulted in a major highway being blocked and ended with three arrests.

The protest had been against the settler rampage that had occurred a day earlier in the town of Huwara in the West Bank.

The protest

Social justice group Standing Together’s spokesman said that more than 1,000 people had attended the ‘emergency protest’ on Monday night in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem and Beersheba.

The spokesperson said that the protest had been against the settler government, which is trying to set the country on fire.

Less than 24 hours before the protest, hundreds of extremist settlers had launched a revenge attack in the Palestinian town of Huwara.

It was in response to the terror shooting that had taken place in the town earlier in the day, which had two casualties.

Israeli brothers Yagel and Hallel Yaniv had lost their lives in the terror attack. The mob that entered the town continued their rampage for two hours, which saw storefronts, homes and cars set on fire.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, riots had also happened in the south of Huwara in the town of Za’tara, which saw one man lose his life to Israeli fire.

A military source said that the shooting did not involve Israeli police and it remained unclear if the settlers were responsible for the death of 37-year old Sameh Aqtash.

Clashes

On Monday, protestors were waving Palestinian flags in Tel Aviv and other areas and also had placards, with messages against the occupation. They also had messages to show solidary with the town of Huwara.

There were clashes between the police and Tel Aviv protestors, as they tried to clear the blocked exit ramp of the highway.

There were videos of the clashes showing some protestors being carried off by the police and others were yelling ‘shame’.

Drivers were instructed to use alternate routes by the police, as a number of major streets had to be blocked due to the protest.

The location

The protest in Tel Aviv had started in Habima Square before the demonstrators headed towards Kaplan Street and blocked the Ayalon Highway’s exit ramp.

According to the police, 19-year old Yehud resident had been arrested for using pepper spray on the protestors at Habima Square.

They also said that they had arrested two protestors for public order disturbance. Standing Together had called onto activists ahead of the protest to rally against occupation, terror and settlements.

The group said in a statement that they would continue fighting against occupation and terror because a country that occupies another can never be free.

Before this protest, there had also been another one in Tel Aviv on Saturday when hundreds of thousands of people had shown up to rally against the judicial overhaul proposals of the government.

It was the largest protest to be carried out in eight weeks and the Ayalon Highway had been blocked for a number of hours in both directions.