A protest by Ethiopian Israelis against police brutality turns violent

2015-05-01 47

Shouting “Enough to police violence”, hundreds of Israelis of Ethiopian descent took to the streets of East Jerusalem on Thursday.

Clashes erupted as police tried to disperse angry crowds heading towards the prime minister’s residence, and at least 13 people were injured.

“The police are using disproportionate force against Israeli-Ethiopian civilians and there are many cases where they have been beaten by the police,” said protester Avi Tesema.

The demonstration, which began as a peaceful march, was called after a video emerged showing two police officers assaulting an Ethiopian army conscript and arresting him, the soldier later said he was the target of a racist attack.