Jerusalem – A number of Ethiopian activists were placed under arrest Sunday evening after police said that they had “disrupted the public order” during a protest held in Tel Aviv.
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Israel Police said in a statement that the demonstrators were detained after they began blocking the entrance to the South Ayalon Highway, preventing the flow of traffic to vehicles.
“During the event several protestors chose to ignore the orders giving by officers and began to disrupt the public order and block roads,” the police statement reads.
Demonstrators had taken to the streets to protest what they said was ill-treatment and “oppression” from the “authorities” who they claim have targeted the Ethiopian community for “years.”
“We are fed up, we are the new generation!,” protestors chanted throughout a number of busy Tel Aviv streets.
Protestors also highlighted their frustrations with a number of Israeli institutions, including the police, The Health Ministry, poor education and religious discrimination among other grievances.
Amber Bogale, organizer of the protest, told the Yediot Ahranot newspaper: “For years, (Israel) has been depriving us of our equal rights. We serve in the army – and yet police brutality and discrimination infect all spheres of our lives.”
“Police violence must stop,” she continued. “There are constantly more victims of police violence from our community.”
In response, Israel Police said: “During the protest several demonstrators violated the public order and illegally blocked roads to vehicles. As a result, policemen were obligated to clear the way and began making arrests. Police policy is to enable freedom of expression and protest, yet we must enforce the law without compromise against whoever has chosen to break law and order. ”
Yediot Ahranot reported that at least 12 people participating in the protest were placed under arrest.
As someone who was harassed numerous times by my so-called Ethiopian brothers and sisters while living in Israel, I’m relieved that their disruptive tendencies are finally being acknowledged by the authorities.