Police then blocked the entrance to the gate and directed people to the adjacent Flowers Gate (Bab al-Zahra).Police detained several people at the scene, but no arrests were made, they said."Jerusalem is ours, al-Aqua is ours," protesters chant pic.twitter.com/kW1FRPMKXK
— Udi Shaham (@udi_shaham) May 15, 2018
Local resident Mohammad Tawil, 20, said the protesters intended to sit on the plaza’s famous steps and chant slogans in a peaceful demonstration.“We wanted to deliver a message to the world that we are against [US President Donald] Trump’s actions [moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem] and against the actions in Gaza,” he said.Meanwhile, east Jerusalemites carried out a commercial strike on Tuesday. They kept their shops closed as an act of solidarity with the residents of Gaza and as part of Nakba Day. Schools were closed as part of the general strike. No further incidents were reported in east Jerusalem, one day after the US moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.HAPPENING NOW: Police, protesters clash in Damascus Gate pic.twitter.com/YWN2j4dPhH
— Udi Shaham (@udi_shaham) May 15, 2018