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Ethiopian Israelis protest after fatal shooting

[ssba]

Thousands of angry demonstrators took to the streets yesterday in Israel to protest Sunday’s killing of Soloman Tekah, 19, an unarmed Ethiopian Israeli by an off-duty policeman.

More than 50 people were injured, including civilians, policemen and demonstrators. Four medical teams were attacked, and one medic sustained light injuries. The police arrested 60 demonstrators for violent behaviour.

The demonstrators included Ethiopian Israelis and sympathisers. They blocked major roads across the country, including the Ayalon Highway that encircles Tel Aviv, causing an estimated 50,000 commuters to be delayed for hours.

In Tel Aviv, protesters outside the Azrieli shopping centre set fire to a car and began attacking other vehicles in the area. In Kiryat Atta, near the scene of Sunday’s shooting, 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the police station, setting tyres on fire and throwing stones and rubbish at police officers. The police responded with stun grenades and tear gas.

An investigation into the precise circumstances of Sunday’s shooting is underway. An initial statement by the police said the off-duty policeman came under attack after he approached people he believed were in a fight. The off-duty officer found himself in a life-threatening situation, the statement said, and shot at the ground. A bullet ricocheted and hit Tekah. Other witness accounts reportedly dispute that the police officer was in a life threatening situation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We all mourn the tragic death of Solomon Tekah. We embrace the family, we embrace the Ethiopian community, it is dear to us, it is dear to me. These are not mere words. I know that there are problems that need to be resolved. We have worked hard and need to work more to solve them. But I ask one of you thing: Stop blocking the roads. We are a nation of laws; we will not tolerate the blocking of roads. I ask you, let us solve the problems together while upholding the law.”

President Reuven Rivlin added: “These are very difficult days. We must stop and think together how to proceed from here … the rage, it must not be expressed violently. The handful of protesters who chose violence is not the face of the protest. Let us sit together … only in this way, in an open and piercing discourse, will we reach a change.”