VIDEO: 100 hurt in Jerusalem as Palestinians clash with Jewish supremacists
Israeli police use mounted officers, stun grenades and skunk water to separate opposing groups outside the Damascus Gate
Over a hundred people were hurt in clashes in Jerusalem overnight as Israeli police deployed mounted officers and skunk water to separate Palestinians and a group of Jewish supremacists.
The violence broke out after Palestinians confronted 300 members of the anti-Arab group Lehava, who marched to the Old City late on Thursday chanting “death to Arabs”.
Police fired stun grenades and sprayed foul-smelling skunk water to disperse the Palestinians, who threw fireworks at them in response.
Officers on horseback were seen pushing back the far-right Jewish group.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said at least 105 Palestinians were wounded, including 22 who were hospitalised.
An Israeli Jewish man was beaten after he tried to flee from his car as it came under attack in East Jerusalem.
Police said he had been hospitalised but gave no details on his condition.
There have been street battles on most nights in Jerusalem since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan last week, ending several months of relative quiet in the city.
Tensions were inflamed in recent days by footage on social media, including the video-sharing app TikTok, showing Jews and Arabs being assaulted in public.
The march by Lehava to the Damascus Gate was called in what it said was a show of “national honour”, but they were stopped within a few metres of their destination where the Palestinian counter-protest had gathered.
Both sides had rallied their supporters to the scene using social media channels.
Police said it pushed back Palestinian protesters to ensure Muslim worshippers had safe access to the al Aqsa mosque on the Old City’s Temple Mount for Friday prayers.
Officials had earlier said they would permit the Lehava march “in the name of freedom of expression, but we will take action against any form of violence”.
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