The Palestinian Red Crescent said 105 Palestinians were injured, of which 22 required treatment in hospital.

4 min readApr 23, 2021

Clashes between Palestinians from east Jerusalem and Israeli police around the Damascus gate entrance to the Old City erupted in a night of unrest that earlier saw Jewish extremists marching through another city street shouting “Death to Arabs.”

The violence marks a high point so far in a new phase of complex heightened tensions in the city which began a week and half ago around the start of Ramadan, and prompted an unusual statement Friday morning from the US embassy in Jerusalem in which it called on “all responsible voices [to] promote an end to incitement.”
Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in the area around the Damascus gate Thursday evening to protest the closure of the plaza space in front of the gate, a popular place for young Palestinians to hang out, especially during Ramadan.Glass bottles and rocks were thrown at police, who used stun grenades, rubber bullets and water cannons spraying foul-smelling ‘skunk water,’ in an effort to disperse the crowds.
At one point, a group of young men managed to break down a pole with a security camera mounted on top and set it alight, temporarily creating a barricade.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said 105 Palestinians were injured, of which 22 required treatment in hospital.
Close by, police used barricades of their own to prevent a march by hundreds of supporters of the Jewish extremist ‘Lehava’ movement from reaching the same area.
Videos on social media show hundreds of people marching down one of Jerusalem’s main thoroughfares, Jaffa Street, towards Damascus Gate chanting repeatedly “Death to Arabs.”
Israeli media reports Lehava supporters threw rocks at police, and videos on social media show police water cannon being used to disperse Another video appears to show religious Jewish youths attacking an Arab family house throwing sticks and other objects into the compound while a baby can be heard screaming.
Police say twenty of their officers were injured, three of whom were taken to hospital.
There were 44 arrests, police say.
In a noteworthy development, the US embassy issued a statement Friday morning, in English, Hebrew and Arabic, which said, “We are deeply concerned about the incidents of violence in Jerusalem over the last several days. We hope all responsible voices will promote an end to incitement, a return to calm, and respect for the safety and dignity of everyone in Jerusalem.”All homeless people living on Los Angeles’ Skid Row must be offered housing by October 18, a federal judge ordered Tuesday.

The order comes in response to a federal lawsuit filed last year by several citizens, business owners, and community leaders who argue officials have failed to address the homeless crisis in Los Angeles, as tents line full city blocks and makeshift shelters cramp under street overpasses.
“Los Angeles has lost its parks, beaches, schools, sidewalks, and highway systems due to the inaction of city and county officials who have left our homeless citizens with no other place to turn,” US District Judge David Carter said in the 110-page brief.
The judge’s filing follows on Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announcing his budget for the next fiscal year in which he vowed to dedicate $1 billion toward homelessness. In 2020 alone, 1,383 homeless people died, and an estimated five more die each day, according to data from theThe order states specific actions for the public streets of Skid Row — home to one of the nation’s biggest concentrations of homeless people.
According to the brief, city and county officials must offer and provide shelter to Skid Row’s general population within 180 days, on or before October 18, 2021. Unaccompanied women and children must be offered housing within 90 days.
Calling it an “unprecedented pace,” Garcetti said Tuesday he would not comment on the order before fully understanding how the judge envisions the timeline successfully happening.
Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer also withheld comment on the plan. “We just received this massive order from Judge Carter,” Feuer said at a press conference. “We are reviewing it as I speak today, and we’ll have more to say about it in the near future, but today I will just indicate that we’re still analyzing the court’s ruling.”
Carter’s order is an urgent move to “restructure and reform” the housing needs in Los Angeles, according to the brief. The judge criticized various California officials for not “making enough effort” to fund effective solutions in a timely manner.them.Israeli border police block members of Lehava, a Jewish extremist group, near Damascus Gate amid heightened tensions in the city.
Lehava has been emboldened by the recent election to the Israeli parliament of several extremist-racist politicians, all of whom have been openly courted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his ongoing attempts to form a new government.
Tensions have been heightened further by a number of videos posted to Tik Tok over the last couple of weeks apparently showing acts of assault, including one purporting to show a Palestinian youth slapping two religious Jews riding the city’s light rail tram service.
The violence continued well into Friday morning with incidents reported across the city, including one captured on video apparently showing Palestinian youths repeatedly kicking a Jewish man in east Jerusalem as he lies on the ground attempting to protect his head.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said 105 Palestinians were injured, of which 22 required treatment in hospital.

Written by Moviengelid

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