fists-cc-by-metalchick200615ACRI contacted the Commissioner of Israel Police on November 26, 2014, following rioting by protesters at an artistic event that dealt with human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The event took place in the presence of a significant security entourage comprised of police officers, border police and additional security personnel, and yet the security efforts were found lacking.
Instead of allowing an orderly counter-demonstration to take place near the site of the event (for example – on the pavement opposite the event), the police allowed the protesters to block access to the hall and seemed content to simply prevent them from breaking into the hall. As such, protesters continued to block off the entrance, assaulted and swore at conference participants and even cut off electricity to the hall for an extended period.
In the correspondence with Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino, ACRI Attorney Avner Pinchuk raised several recent similar cases that ended in extreme violence.
“It goes without saying that the right to free expression of counter demonstrations is no less important than the rights of those participating in the event that they are protesting against. Yet threats of violence, riots and inducing terror and fear are not a part of this freedom, but rather a recipe for its elimination.”
ACRI has requested that the police continue to enable the holding of counter demonstrations and protests while ensuring a physical separation between the groups. It is the role of the police to act decisively against anyone who attempts to abuse their free speech in order to prevent the free speech of another.
