Protestors hurled rocks at an Egged bus Monday morning in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot, damaging the vehicle. No one was injured. That was not the case Sunday night, however, when seven police officers and at least one civilian were wounded in rock-throwing incidents during a 10,000-strong demonstration held on Jerusalem’s Bar Ilan Street. Dozens of demonstrators also burned trash dumpsters and smashed traffic lights. Some of the more than 1,000 police officers assigned to secure the event were themselves were accused of violence as well. Several used their long wooden clubs to beat the protestors, one of whom required medical treatment as a result of the incident. Voice of Israel government radio also reported that some police officers aimed their motorcycles at protestors on the sidewalks. Jerusalem Police Chief Ilan Franco said in response to questions about the incidents, “Unfortunately, force is sometimes a tool that works.” Chief Franco said Monday that the week-long daily protests by thousands of hareidi religious Jews in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak will not stop the Gay Pride march, from Independence Park down Jerusalem's King David street to Liberty Bell Park on Thursday. Despite the increasingly violent protests against the event, Franco claimed he has no choice but to allow the event. The police chief added that he has no authority even to change the route of the parade. Days and nights of violent protests convinced officials to persuade the Open House organization sponsoring the parade to move last year’s “Gay Pride” event to a private venue on the Givat Ram campus of Hebrew University. Israel’s President-elect Shimon Peres told hareidi religious Jewish community leaders last week he would make an effort to block the event. However, it is still unclear whether the security risk posed by this year’s parade will be sufficient to merit a similar response by the government.
