According to a video shared on social media by an organizer from the self-described "socialist podcast" Wake Up Call, Israel Border Police entered the neighborhood and attempted to disperse the protestors, despite the peaceful nature of the event. "If the police try to stop every protest, whether or not it is violent, perhaps the problem isn't the violence: Perhaps the problem the police have is with Palestinians," said the organizer.At the same time as protestors gathered in east Jerusalem, another protest organized by Standing Together, along with the left-wing NGOs Combatants for Peace and Breaking the Silence, took place in the West Bank near Bethlehem.The protest, described by participants as a "freedom march" was a joint demonstration of Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs and Palestinians who were calling for peace and an end to Israeli military presence in east Jerusalem and the West Bank. A statement made by Judea and Samaria Police said that the protestors blocked the road in the Etzion region and caused a public disturbance, leading them to disperse the event."During the dispersal of the attendees and the reopening of the roads, eight people were arrested, four Palestinians and four Israelis, on suspicion of gathering illegally, disturbing public peace and security, and disturbing closed-off IDF land," the Police spokesperson said.According to Green, however, the protest was quiet and non-violent, and the land had only been closed by the IDF in order to prevent the march from taking place.The march was attended by Meretz MK Mossi Raz and Hadash MK Ofer Cassif, who both reported that police were issuing parking tickets to journalists reporting on the event from the side of the road."During the freedom march today, the Israeli Police wanted to remind us that there is no freedom here," Sally Abed, a Palestinian member of Standing Together wrote in her statement about the event.Demonstrators at both the freedom march and the protest in Sheikh Jarrah held signs and banners with various slogans calling for change, including one which read "Stop the war. Lift the Siege. There is another way," in reference to the blockade of Gaza which has been in place since 2007. Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.#SaveSheikhJarrahh pic.twitter.com/hGPZZXcxK7
— Alon-Lee Green - ألون-لي جرين - אלון-לי גרין (@AlonLeeGreen) May 21, 2021