Police Arrest Former MK Organizing Illegal Protest

This morning (Thursday), police officers of the northern district detained Mohammad Barakeh, Chairman of the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel and a former MK, who tried to organize a protest in Nazareth against the war against Hamas, contrary to police instructions.

Another five public figures trying to organize and participate in a protest which may incite and disturb the public order were also detained, including former MK Hanin Zoabi and Balad Chairman and former MK Sami Abu Shehadeh.

The Israel Police stated that “in these times, when the State of Israel is in a state of war, the atmosphere among the public is very tense. Our captives have not yet returned, and the police officers are overburdened with missions – we expect every Israeli citizen to respect the law and listen to police instructions. The Israel Police will not allow any attempt to disturb the public peace or attempt to incite, and will come down hard against any who try to do so.”

Yesterday, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal against the Israel Police’s instructions regarding protests, deciding that protestors against the war cannot hold demonstrations in Umm el-Fahm and Sachnin.

According to the police statement, in a court deliberation on the appeal, the Israel Police argued that these protests could develop into a real risk to the peace and safety of the public. At this time, the police’s efforts are all given over to dealing with the complex security situation and cannot allocate the needed manpower to deal with this threat.