May 2013 Events in Al Quds

7/28/2019 May 2013 Events in Al Quds

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May 2013 Events in Al Quds

During the month of May 2013, Palestinian residents of the Old City in Jerusalemand the area known as the Holy Basin (ring of Palestinian neighbourhoods aroundthe Old City) experienced numerous incidents of harsh violence on behalf of IsraeliPolice and Border Police Forces. Two days in particular stand out during the month:May 8, 2013, celebrated in Israel as Jerusalem Day, the day of the Occupation ofEast Jerusalem, and May 15, 2013, (this year) celebrated by Israelis as the holiday ofShavuot, also the day Palestinian residents commemorate the Nakba. This yearmarked the 65th year since the Palestinian catastrophe of 1948. During both of theseevents this year, Palestinian residents experienced extreme violence. Israelis marched

in the thousands through Occupied Palestinian neighbourhoods, chanting hateslogans such as Mohammad was a pig, your village will be burnt, and Death to

Arabs. Israeli Police, Border Police, Private Security, Elite and Undercover unitsguaranteed safe passage for the hate marchers, celebrating national Israeli holidaysthrough the Palestinian neighbourhoods. Israelis were also seen wearing shirtssymbolising the demolition of the Dome of the Rock. Israeli Police allegedly attackedreporters and Palestinian protesters who were present in the area peacefullyprotesting the Israeli marches, and they reportedly used excessive force against them.

Additionally, Israeli Police sprayed Palestinian protesters with pepper spray anddeliberately attacked a number of journalists and several Palestinians trying to reach

Al-Aqsa Mosque for prayers. This led to several injuries, including a child, identifiedas 14-year-old Mohammad Mazaro, who suffered various cuts and bruises.

Cameraman Fayez Abu Rmeileh was injured after being attacked by several policeofficers who pushed him onto the ground and violently kicked him.

Palestinian youths hurled stones at Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), and one Israelipoliceman was reported injured. More than 23 Palestinians were reported asarrested. Fierce clashes took place between Palestinians and IOF after settler activistsentered the yard of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Eight Palestinians, including one woman, andtwo Israeli policemen were reported injured.

IOF conducted a search operation in the area, and the Mufti of Jerusalem wasdetained for his alleged involvement in the clashes, which took place at Al-AqsaMosque on May 7, 2013. Several hours later he was released. Settlers, under the

protection of Israeli Police, entered the grounds of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

On May 9, 2013, clashes continued between Palestinians and IOF at several gates ofAl Aqsa Mosque after IOF prevented Palestinians from entering Al Aqsa Mosque.Fifteen Palestinians, including three minors, were reportedly arrested.

During these days of violence, the Security Forces attacked journalists working in thearea covering the events. On Jerusalem Day, three journalists were arrested, twoPalestinian (Fayez Abu Rmeileh and other unknown) and one Israeli (Oren Ziv).12During Nakba Day on May 15, 2013, 25 Palestinians were arrested.34


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However, media coverage of the events could not cover the devastating impact theconstant violence has on local communities. Nor could it keep track of the daily

violent routine community members endure before and after the covered events takeplace. While collecting material for this report, community members stressed thatthese violent events dont end there. Night time raids, child arrests, settler violence,and overzealous private security guards... remain a constant reality after mediacoverage of the events end. The incident map below illustrates some of the verifiableevents that have been reported by community members that took place over the lastmonth. Please take note, numerous violent events take place but remainundocumented. Below are testimonials and information collected of the verifiableevents, recorded by community members who witnessed or experienced the violence

themselves.

For more information, please contact Fayrouz Sharqawi at:[email protected].


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Testimonies

Jerusalem Day May 8, 2013 Testimonies

Hanaa Mahamid, Al-Mayadin TV:

While attacking Palestinian protesters, the occupation forces tried to prevent themedia from covering the events. The police and border police attacked journalists

with their bare hands and bats, and Israeli settlers - thousands of which entered theOld City - tried to obstruct the journalists work by yelling at them and blocking their

cameras. The police forcibly moved the journalists from their places and gatheredthem in one narrow spot. This obstructed our work and prevented us from movingaround and covering the developments freely. We were broadcasting the events liveand that is what they wanted to prevent. In the beginning, the police yelled at usthreatening to break our equipment or arrest us if we do not move from our place.Then we were forced to move from our spots. One of the settlers put a sticker on ourcamera and the police did nothing to prevent these settlers from attacking protestersor harassing journalists. I am pretty sure that around 90% of the journalists at place

were harassed and prevented from doing their job freely, some of them violentlyattacked and a number arrested.

Nader Baibars, production manager, Good Morning Jerusalem (Sabah Al Khair ya

Quds) and a photographer at Palestine TV said in an interview with Skiescorrespondent:

Police forces harassed the photographer Ali Yasin and the correspondent ChristineRinawi our staff members during their live event covering. They pushed them and

broke the tripod. The crew stayed at a neutral zone which is far from the clashes andeven empty from the Palestinian protestors, but the police officers reached the crewagain pushed and prohibit them many times from doing their job.

Nakba Day (May 15, 2013) Testimonies:

Toufiq Saleeba, Al-Arabiyyah TV Photographer:

I was shooting a video near the police station at Salah Eddin Street when thepolicemen on horseback received orders to move to another place. While moving, oneof them came close to me, so I moved back and then the soldier standing behind mepushed me and claimed that I pushed him. When I asked him how could I possiblypush him while holding my camera, he began cursing me. Then a few policemenphysically attacked me, held me by the neck and dragged me on the ground to thepolice station. There I was brutally beaten, even though I kept telling them that I wasa journalist. I was held there for five hours and then released. I was told that I would

be summoned to court after I was accused of attacking three policemen andinvolvement in disturbance. I told them I had evidence of my innocence and that I

was the one attacked, and the bruises from the attacks still show on my body.


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Muammar Awad, Chinese Agency Photographer:

Had been beaten many times, and said: at the beginning the policeman pushed methrough the metal barrier, and I moved to another place but then and by mistake apoliceman sprayed another one with pepper gas on the face which drove him furiousand he started to beat me with his metal stick targeting my hand and my camera. Ifell on the floor then another policeman on the horse came and directed his horse totramples on me, while I was trying to protect myself and trying to stand up anotherpoliceman has beaten me in the stomach and pushed me to the floor, and mycolleagues pulled me out of their hands. I have been medically treated on the field butlater on I went to the hospital. I have medical reports to prove my injury, and I will

make a complain against the police, which will be the third complain I made againstthem, but, unfortunately all is useless.


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Map 1: Reference Map of the Old City


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Chart 1: Reported Arrests and Detainments for May 2013 in the Old City Area


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Map 2: Incident Reporting Reference Map

For more information about these incidents please visit:

http://grassrootsalquds.net/activists,to view theGrassroots Jerusalem Incident Map.

Map 3: Grassroots Jerusalem Incident Map


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Chart 3: Description of Incidents

Date Title of Incident Description of Incident

8 May 13 Jerusalem Day Protest at

Damascus Gate

Violence against protesters at

Damascus Gate during

"Jerusalem Day" on 8 May

2013. Video of the violence

can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watc

h?v=-lNGEmYDb-E.

8 May 13 Arrest of Photojournalist

During "Jerusalem Day"

Protests

Photojournalist Fayez Abu

Rmeileh was arrested during

"Jerusalem Day" protests at

Damascus Gate on 8 May

2013. A video of the arrest

can be seen here:


h?v=lL1RWf9nJsY.

8 May 13 21 Palestinians Arrested


Protests at Damascus Gate


protests at Damascus Gate

on 8 May 2013, 21

Palestinians were arrested.

Additionally, Journalists were

targeted and attacked by the

Occupation Forces to prevent

them from documenting

police violence. A video of the

protest can be viewed here:


h?v=-lNGEmYDb-E.


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8 May 13 1 Palestinian Arrested During

"Jerusalem Day" Protests at

Damascus Gate


protests on 8 May 2013 at

approximately 17:00, police

attacked two Palestinians and

arrested one, Mai Abdeen, for

raising the Palestinian flag. A

photo of the incident can be

viewed here:

https://www.facebook.com/ph

oto.php?fbid=521622224542264&set=a.40860239251091

5.80757.100000834740846&t

ype=1&theater.

9 May 13 Detention of the Grand Mufti

of Jerusalem

On 9 May 2013, the Grand

Mufti of Jerusalem,

Muhammad Hussein, was

taken from his home and

accused of "disturbance"

after he argued with an Israeli

police commander against

the entrance of Israeli

extremists to Al-Aqsa

Mosque. More information

about the incident can be

found here:

http://www.aljazeera.com/ne

ws/middleeast/2013/05/2013

5873318383400.html.


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15 May 13 Arrest of the Director of the

African Community Society

and the Director of the

Prisoner's Club - Jerusalem

on Nakba Day

During Nakba Day protests

on 15 May 2013, Yasser

Qous, Director of the African

Community Society and

Nasser Qous, Director of the

Prisoner's Club - Jerusalem,

were arrested near the Old

City in Bab A-Sahreh. A video

of the arrest can be seen

here:http://www.youtube.com/watc

h?v=-lNGEmYDb-E.

15 May 13 Arrest of Al-Arabiyyah TV

Photographer on Nakba Day

During Nakba Day protests

on 15 May 2013, Al-

Arabiyyah TV Photographer,

Toufiq Saleeba, was

arrested. More information

can be found here:

http://www.skeyesmedia.org/

ar/News/Palestine/3221 .

15 May 13 Arrest of 6 Palestinian

Protestors During Nakba Day

During Nakba Day protests at

Damascus Gate on 15 May

2013, 6 Palestinians were

arrested. A video of the

protests can be seen here:


h?v=bBzwAaYWhPI.

15 May 13 Violence Against Protestors

at Damascus Gate During

Nakba Day

Violence against protestors at


Nakba Day on 15 May 2013.

The violence by the

Occupation Forces can be

seen in this video:


h?v=A1-URgxzcIE.


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15 May 13 Violence and Arrest of 2

Protestors During Nakba Day

Protests

Occupation Forces used

violence against protestors

and arrested two men at


Nakba Day protests on 15

May 2013. One of the men

arrested is seen on the laying

on the ground unconscious.

The violence and arrests can

be seen in this video:http://www.youtube.com/watc

h?v=xLrJUIKd7UU.

15 May 13 Violence Against

Photographer from the

Chinese News Agency

During Nakba Day Protests

The Occupation Forces used

violence against Muhammad

Awad, a photographer for the

Chinese News Agency. More

information can be found

here:

http://www.skeyesmedia.org/

ar/News/Palestine/3221 .

18 May 13 6 People Detained During a

Peaceful Protest

On 18 May 2013, the

occupation forces attacked a

peaceful protest on Nablus

Road, one journalist was

injured and six people were

detained. Four people were

released on the same day

and two others, Mahmod

Hindi and Nadim Irfaeia, hadtheir detentions extended.

The Occupation Forces used

sound bombs and water

tanks against the protesters.

More information about the

incident can be found here:

http://silwanic.net/?p=38382 .


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19 May 13 2 Arrested During Peaceful

Protest for Al Aqsa

During a peaceful protest for

Al Aqsa on 19 May 2013, the

Occupation Forces used

violence and arrested two

protestors. More information

can be found here:

http://http://www.qudsmedia.c

om/?p=88165.

26 May 13 14 Jerusalemites Arrested

During Clashes in the Bab

Hutta Neighborhood of the

Old City

On 26 May 2013 between the

hours of 19:30 and 4:00 am,

there were clashes between

the Occupation Forces and

Palestinian residents in the

Bab Hutta neighborhood of

the Old City. There was

violence against Palestinian

residents and 14

Jerusalemites were arrested.

A description and photos of

the clashes can be viewed

here:

https://www.facebook.com/m

edia/set/?set=a.10201017039

328747.1073741828.125019

1668&type=1.

26 May 13 Arrest of 4 Palestinians in the

Bab Hutta Neighborhood of

the Old City

On 26 May 2013, four

Palestinians were arrested in

the Bab Hutta neighborhood

of the Old City during clasheswith the Occupation Forces.

A video of the clashes can be

seen here:


h?v=txp6n8EUeSc.


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27 May 13 Clashes in the Bab Hutta

Neighborhood of the Old City

On 27 May 2013, there were

clashes between the

Occupation Forces and

residents of the Bab

Hutta\ Alsaadeieh

neighborhood of the Old City.

A video of the clashes can be

viewed here:


h?v=8w6C7wyzZMk&feature=youtu.be.

1 Alray Media Agency, Israeli forces detain dozens in Jerusalem Day clashes, 11 May 2013,http://alray.ps/en//index.php?act=post&id=536.2 Silwanic, The ominous Jerusalem Day 2013, YouTube, 9 May 2013,http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lNGEmYDb-E.3 Press TV, Israel arrests 25 Palestinian protesters on Nakba Day, 15 May 2013,http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/15/303735/israel-arrests-25-palestinian-protesters/. 4Alyan, Mahmoud, Israeli security forces make arrests at Damascus Gate on NakbaDay, 15 May, 2013, http://www.demotix.com/news/2056152/israeli-security-forces-make-arrests-damascus-gate-nakba-day#media-2056125.

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May 2013 Events in Al Quds