On Friday (the Muslim Sabbath) Israeli police refused to allow Palestinians under the age of about 45 or so to enter the old city. Hisham Jamjoum ISM coordinator and manager of the Faisal Hostel next to the old city commented “that there were 300-400 Muslims peacefully praying outside the Old City, because they couldn’t get in. There were police everywhere due to fears that there might be a demonstration against the slander towards the prophet Mohammed.
Whilst police expected demonstrations on Friday what they didn’t expect was a quickly organised demonstration of 300 High School students the following day that took up the issue of slander. Jamjoum commented that the police built up there presence gradually without provocation the police threw sound bombs as the demonstration and fired rubber bullets into the crowed. Increasingly more students joined those at Damascus gate. The rally ended after an hour and a half, 7 people were injured including one person that was hit with a rubber bullet to the leg and 20 people who were arrested. “They attacked everyone, I saw a 60 year old man who was just trying to pass being struck by police. Not even street vendors were safe.”