Photo: Tal Dahan
On 12 July 2016 ACRI filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Israeli police, demanding that the Pride House in Be’er Sheva be allowed to march on Rager Boulevard during the city’s gay pride parade.
The case began on 17 May, when the parade organizers went to the local police station to apply for a license to hold the event, which was scheduled to take place on 30 June. Due to many obstacles, the organizers only managed to submit the request on 31 May. At first, the local police notified the organizers that there is a strict ruling against holding parades on Rager Boulevard on Thursday nights, for various reasons. Later on, the police told the organizers that the chosen date was a “tricky” one.
Finally, two weeks ago, after 1.5 months of negotiations, deliberations, excuses and the direct involvement of ACRI, the police accepted the organizers request to hold the parade. Due to the delays, the organizers had to postpone the event until 14 July (regardless of the fact that June is national pride month). The agreed route for the parade was on Rager Boulevard between Vitman parking lot in the Old City and City Hall.
The organizers started preparing for the parade – they spent money and organized necessary arrangements including transport to the location, on the basis of the agreement. During those two weeks the organizers tried to obtain formal permission from the police. The Commander of the Be’er Sheva Police assured the Pride House’s representative that permission would be granted on the terms that they had agreed upon.
On Sunday, many attempts were made to reach the Police without success. Different police representatives stated that there were new developments in the case that were causing delays. That day, news broke of a meeting between the Chief Rabbi of Be’er Sheva, the police commander and the mayor. According to the press, the Rabbi demanded the parade be held in a closed and insignificant venue or on small streets, far from the main roads. Later that day, the mayor informed the organizers that he had met Rabbi Deri at the Southern District Commander’s office, and that a compromise had been reached. This compromise was very similar to the Rabbi’s wishes as expressed in the media.
On Monday night, 11 July, the commander of the Be’er Sheva Police Station alerted Pride House that the police were revoking their decision to approve the route that was agreed upon and that the parade would not be allowed to take place on Rager Boulevard. In light of the police’s decision, ACRI Attorneys Avner Pinchuk and Sharona Eliahu-Chai petitioned the Supreme Court, requesting that the Court require the police to explain their decision not to honor the agreement regarding the route of the parade.
For more information and to read the petition in Hebrew, please click here.
Be’er Sheva Gay Pride Parade canceled in protest of police diverting route
By: Almog Ben Zikri, Haaretz, 14 July 2016
Gay pride parade diverted from Israeli city’s main road over ‘threats, hurt religious feelings’
By: Almog Ben Zikri, Haaretz, 13 July 2016
Beersheba pride parade called off after court orders march rereouted
By: Tamar Pillegi, Times of Israel, 13 July 2016
