Monday, December 19, 2016, 8:38 An approximately 18-year-old youth who participated in a protest against the planned destruction of Amona at the Ofra Junction on the evening
of Saturday, December 17 (after Shabbat) was sprayed with pepper spray and pushed to the ground by border policemen. As a result of the fall his leg was broken. The youth described the incident: “Border policemen arrived and started to violently push us in order to disperse the protest. At some point they began to spray the protesters with pepper spray. We choked and our eyes burned. Then they pushed me and I fell. After I fell they beat me and sprayed me a few more times.
“Civilians who were on the scene assisted me and summoned medics who treated me. I hope that the violent policemen will be suitably punished. Injuring protesters who are standing on the sidewalk at an intersection just because the protest isn’t to their [the policemen’s] liking?? That is criminal behavior.”
Civilians evacuated the youth to a Terem Clinic where he was diagnosed with a severe break in his ankle.
Honenu Attorney Menasheh Yado filed an urgent complaint with the Police Investigation Unit and demanded that the incident be investigated as soon as possible. Yado also wrote letters to the Yehuda and Shomron District Commander and to the Police Commissioner demanding that they draw the correct conclusions from the incident and also see to it that there are no repeat occurrences.
“It cannot be that policemen who so severely and brutally assault protesters continue work the next morning as if everything is as usual. This was the first protest [about the current Amona issue] in the area of Ofra, and if this is how the Israeli Police is conducting itself currently, there is serious concern about what we should expect in the future. I call on the Police Commissioner and the [Yehuda and Shomron] District Commander to urgently give policemen a refresher course on regulations and laws,” stated Yado.
For additional posts on demonstrators detained while protesting the planned destruction of Amona, see:
“Legitimate protest does not justify administrative orders”
Minors detained over Amona fliers
Stringent restrictions imposed on Amona protesters