On Sunday, thousands of Ethiopian Israelis came out to protest against police brutality and systematic racism in Israel. The protests began over a video that emerged last week of Damas Pakedeh, an Israeli Soldier begin beaten by two police officers in a Tel Aviv suburb. The policemen involved in the beating have been fired.
The protests started out very peaceful. A small amount of people soon threw bottles, stones, and chairs at the police. As night fell, the protest became more violent. Police soon fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the protest.
Israel's President Reuven Rivlin was quick to respond to the weekend's disturbances with calming words - the country hadn't listened to its Ethiopian minority, he said.
The protests started out very peaceful. A small amount of people soon threw bottles, stones, and chairs at the police. As night fell, the protest became more violent. Police soon fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the protest.
Israel's President Reuven Rivlin was quick to respond to the weekend's disturbances with calming words - the country hadn't listened to its Ethiopian minority, he said.
President Rivlin blamed a "handful of violent trouble-makers" for the violence but said Israel must deal with Ethiopian Jews' grievances.
The protests, he added, exposed "the pain of a community crying out over a sense of discrimination, racism, and of being unanswered.
"We must look directly at this open wound."
Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal
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