Settlers tried to block a main highway and burned tyres at the entrance to Jerusalem, launching a "Day of Rage" to protest police action during an outpost demolition, officials said.
"There were a number of attempts to block the Jerusalem road. Police quickly arrived and dispersed them," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.
In one incident, a handful of protesters tried to block the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway at a point halfway between the two cities, while others put burning tyres in the road at the entrance to Jerusalem, he said.
Settlers are holding a day of protests following clashes at the Havat Gilad outpost near Nablus which broke out early on Monday when police came to demolish a caravan, a tent and another half-built structure at the site.
During the incident, the settlers say police used excessive force to remove demonstrators, using stun grenades and paint ball guns against them.
Some hardline settlers have threatened to carry out "price tag" attacks against Palestinians on Thursday -- a policy which involves attacks on the local population as a direct response to "anti-settler" activity by the Israeli government.
Police were on high alert to prevent violence, said Rosenfeld.
"We have stepped up patrols in different areas in Judaea and Samaria (the West Bank) and Jerusalem and we are prepared to deal with disturbances as they happen," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment