On Sunday, the Ministry of Justice in Israel announced the opening of an investigation into an incident in which a policeman appeared on a horse hitting an anti-government demonstrator on the head with a bridle, during anti-government protests in Tel Aviv on Saturday night.
In the footage documenting the incident, the demonstrator can be seen falling to the ground, holding his head in pain, while a police force on horseback was moving among the crowd of demonstrators.
The incident was one of several manifestations of violence during the protests, which also witnessed the police using water cannons against demonstrators for the first time since the events of last October 7.
According to the Times of Israel newspaper, the “painful blow” is scheduled to be investigated by the Police Internal Investigations Unit of the Ministry of Justice.
On Sunday, the Israeli police said in a statement, “The demonstrators ignored our warnings, closed roads, and clashed with the forces, despite repeated negotiation efforts.”
It was not clear whether the man who was hit with the bridle, who has not been identified, needed medical attention.
In the footage, other demonstrators can be seen rushing to check on the man and help him stand, and a police officer approached him to ask if he was okay.
The clashes between police and demonstrators on Saturday were among the most violent since the outbreak of war on October 7.
With the start of the war, demonstrations against the judicial reform that the government wanted stopped.
But the protests have escalated in recent weeks as the file has been opened again, encouraged by demonstrations by families pressing for an agreement to release hostages held in Gaza.
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2024-02-25 22:39:49
