Gilad Erdan: We will fight for right to protest, will not tolerate anarchy
Erdan expressed his disappointment in the fact that some of the protesters "operate with great violence."
By TAMAR URIEL-BEERIMK Gilad Erdan, 2019.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan spoke about the Ethiopian protests taking place all over Israel on Tuesday night, saying that the security forces in Israel will "fight for the rights of protesters to protest," but "will not tolerate anarchy."He began by once again expressing his condolences to the family of Solomon Tekah, a 19-year-old who was killed at the hands of a police officer earlier in the week. "I understand and sympathize with the pain of the [Ethiopian] community and respect the desire to express protest," Erdan began."The government of Israel, the Ministry of Public Security and the police have taken steps in recent years to strengthen the relationship and the trust between the Ethiopian community," he continued. "There was a 21% drop in arrests of Ethiopians.""The terrible incident in Kiryat Haim does not represent the processes that the Israeli police has undergone," Erdan emphasized. "The protest of the community is legitimate, but every democratic protest has limits that must not be crossed and that the police cannot ignore."I am aware, of course, of the great suffering of the general public and the discomfort caused to thousands of citizens on the roads, and I regret it, but it is important to understand that the police attempted to prevent further casualties."Erdan expressed his disappointment in the fact that some of the protesters "operate with great violence.""We saw very violent rioters today that threw Molotov cocktails at stun grenades, vandalized vehicles and state infrastructures, and even tried to set fire to police stations," Erdan said. "The violence led to the injury of dozens of policemen."Erdan explained that although the security forces in the country "will continue to fight for the rights of protesters to protest," they "will not tolerate anarchy."
