An peaceful evening march in Jerusalem

From yesterday evening's Jerusalem Post website (November 28, 2009):

"2,000 march for a 'Free Jerusalem'
Some 2,000 people marched Saturday evening against what they call religious coercion which the haredi community of the city is trying to enact."

"About 400 people came to the Paris Square in Jerusalem, near the Prime Minister's Residence, on Saturday evening, beginning a march toward Zion Square at the center of town later in the evening. The marchers convened to protest the "soft handling" of haredi rioters by the police and called for a "Free Jerusalem."

"The crowd was comprised of a variety of Jerusalem residents - from secular through traditional to Zionist-religious. By the late evening hours, thousands of people joined the protest, some spontaneously joining the march as it passed near them. Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz was leading the march. Store owners whose shops were on the route of the march clapped and sang Hanukah songs, which they said typify the Jews' longing for freedom."


"A spokesman for Mayor Nir Barkat said that the mayor was not present at the event despite being invited because he was otherwise engaged. Barkat, at the time of the protest, was speaking at an event moderated by Jeruaslem Post Editor in Chief David Horovitz at the Great Synagogue near Paris Square, marking the one-year anniversary of Barkat's mayoralty."

"The protest lambasted the "soft handling" of haredi protesters by the police following a series of violent haredi riots. Riots erupted and lasted for several weeks following the municipality's decision to open the Karta lot near the Old City on Shabbat."

"Earlier in the day a small-scale haredi protest took place outside the offices of Intel at the Har Hotzvim industrial park, over the semiconductor giant's decision to operate a chip producing facility there during the Sabbath. It was the third of its kind in as many weeks."

"This Saturday's [Haredi (jsd)] protest was relatively small and nonviolent, but in the past two weeks rioters clashed with both the police and journalists covering the event, calling the police "anti-Semites" and "Nazis."

"A recent incident which also incensed the city's non-orthodox residents was the arrest of a US-born woman who donned a talit - the traditional ceremonial robe worn by men - at the Western Wall."


A still-active link to Ynet about the march is:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3811967,00.html

Marching for a more tolerant city.
The poster reads "Jerusalem also belongs to me".

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An peaceful evening march in Jerusalem. From yesterday evening's Jerusalem Post website. (The article has since been removed, after only a few hours' time). <quote> 2,000 march for a 'Free Jerusalem' Some 2,000 people marched Saturday evening against what they call religious coercion which the haredi community of the city is trying to enact. About 400 people came to the Paris Square in Jerusalem, near the Prime Minister's Residence, on Saturday evening, beginning a march toward Zion Square at the center of town later in the evening. The marchers convened to protest the "soft handling" of haredi rioters by the police and called for a "Free Jerusalem." The crowd was comprised of a variety of Jerusalem residents - from secular through traditional to Zionist-religious. By the late evening hours, thousands of people joined the protest, some spontaneously joining the march as it passed near them. Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz was leading the march. Store owners whose shops were on the route of the march clapped and sang Hanukah songs, which they said typify the Jews' longing for freedom. A spokesman for Mayor Nir Barkat said that the mayor was not present at the event despite being invited because he was otherwise engaged. Barkat, at the time of the protest, was speaking at an event moderated by Jeruaslem Post Editor in Chief David Horovitz at the Great Synagogue near Paris Square, marking the one-year anniversary of Barkat's mayoralty. The protest lambasted the "soft handling" of haredi protesters by the police following a series of violent haredi riots. Riots erupted and lasted for several weeks following the municipality's decision to open the Karta lot near the Old City on Shabbat. Earlier in the day a small-scale haredi protest took place outside the offices of Intel at the Har Hotzvim industrial park, over the semiconductor giant's decision to operate a chip producing facility there during the Sabbath. It was the third of its kind in as many weeks. This Saturday's [Haredi (jsd)] protest was relatively small and nonviolent, but in the past two weeks rioters clashed with both the police and journalists covering the event, calling the police "anti-Semites" and "Nazis." A recent incident which also incensed the city's non-orthodox residents was the arrest of a US-born woman who donned a talit - the traditional ceremonial robe worn by men - at the Western Wall. <unquote> A still-active link to Ynet about the march is: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3811967,00.html

Marching for a more tolerant city.

We were able to take part in the March and then to hear Mayor Nir Birkat (center) discuss the problems of Jerusalem and improvements he says his administration is making here.

There was a bit of a disconnect between his statement that things are improving for the young residents of the city, and that fact that there were thousands of young people at that very moment protesting in the nearby streets against conditions that lead many of them to abandon Jerusalem.

An encounter with my cousins

While I was photographing alone at Akeldama (Jerusalem), a group of young students from Abu Tor decided to have some sport with me. For about 15 minutes, they begged me for money, played around with my tripod, tried to get into my pockets, talked about the Koran, asked me whether I was a Muslim, made obscene gestures, and thereafter started pelting me with stones from the area above the tombs.

After they'd thrown stones for about 10 minutes, I was able to make my way back upslope, without being seen. As I emerged atop the hill, they ran away, even as they continued throwing rocks. Each time I ran after them and aimed my camera, they quickly pulled up their shirts to hide their faces, exactly like the stone-throwers of Gaza shown on CNN. It was especially disturbing that these kids were so young, very well-dressed, and on their way home from school on a beautiful, peaceful warm afternoon (October 13, 2009).

Running away but still hoping to get in one last shot,
while his comrade hides behind the corner of a building.

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While I was photographing alone at Akeldama, a group of young students from Abu Tor decided to have some sport with me. For about 15 minutes, they begged me for money, played around with my tripod, tried to get into my pockets, talked about the Koran, asked me whether I was a Muslim, made obscene gestures, and thereafter started pelting me with stones from the area above the tombs. After they'd thrown stones for about 10 minutes, I was able to make my way back upslope, without being seen. As I emerged atop the hill, they ran away, even as they continued throwing rocks. Each time I ran after them and aimed my camera, they quickly pulled up their shirts to hide their faces, exactly like the stone-throwers of Gaza shown on CNN. It was especially disturbing that these kids were so young, very well-dressed, and on their way home from school on a beautiful, peaceful warm afternoon (October 13, 2009). How do we stop the process that begins with kids throwing rocks and ends with the rallying cry "Itbakh al-Yahud!" (and the sorry phenomenon of Jews burning Olive trees)? And don't tell me that these things aren't comparable.

Add a caption

While I was photographing alone at Akeldama, a group of young students from Abu Tor decided to have some sport with me. For about 15 minutes, they begged me for money, played around with my tripod, tried to get into my pockets, talked about the Koran, asked me whether I was a Muslim, made obscene gestures, and thereafter started pelting me with stones from the area above the tombs. After they'd thrown stones for about 10 minutes, I was able to make my way back upslope, without being seen. As I emerged atop the hill, they ran away, even as they continued throwing rocks. Each time I ran after them and aimed my camera, they quickly pulled up their shirts to hide their faces, exactly like the stone-throwers of Gaza shown on CNN. It was especially disturbing that these kids were so young, very well-dressed, and on their way home from school on a beautiful, peaceful warm afternoon (October 13, 2009). How do we stop the process that begins with kids throwing rocks and ends with the rallying cry "Itbakh al-Yahud!" (and the sorry phenomenon of Jews burning Olive trees)? And don't tell me that these things aren't comparable.

Ready...Aim...Throw!

How do we stop the process that begins with kids throwing rocks and ends with the rallying cry "Itbakh al-Yahud!" (and as a counterpoint, the sorry phenomenon of Jews burning Olive trees)?