One person hospitalized after being hit in face by water jet; policeman injured during clash; two people arrested; protest group says cannon deployed without warning
By JDN
Police deployed a water cannon against protestors in Jerusalem, the first time the crowd-dispersal method has been used in a number of months at a demonstration against Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Around 1,000 people protested in Jerusalem. Police said that the water cannon was used when protestors approached the President’s Residence and attempted to break through a checkpoint. One person was injured after being hit in the face by the water jet and was taken to hospital. His condition was said to be mild. A police officer was also injured during the clashes. Two people were arrested.
It was around 9 degrees Celsius (approx. 48 degrees Fahrenheit) in Jerusalem on Saturday evening, and the Kumi Yisrael protest group said the water cannon was deployed without warning the protestors.
While use of the cannons against ultra-Orthodox and Arab protestors has been common for years, most recently in the northern Arab city of Umm al-Fahm on Friday, it has gained increased attention in recent months over their use at the anti-Netanyahu protests.
There have been concerns about the use of the cannons at close range — last year a protestor hit in the face with a direct blast filed a complaint with the Police Internal Investigations Department in the Justice Ministry.
Demonstrators have been holding regular protests for months against Netanyahu, demanding he resign over his trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Netanyahu is set to appear in court on February 8 to respond to the criminal indictment against him. His legal team has made repeated efforts to delay the court hearings and cancel the indictment on technical grounds, to no avail.
The prime minister denies wrongdoing and claims the indictments are part of an effort by political rivals, the media, police and prosecutors to remove him from office.
