JERUSALEM (JTA) — Four right-wing activists were arrested and 22 detained during a demonstration in Sderot calling for the resettlement of Jews in Gaza.
Police broke up the rally Sunday after protesters tried to break through police barriers and march toward the former settlements of Gush Katif in Gaza. Police had cordoned off roads leading to and from the area before the start of the rally.
About 400 people participated in the rally; at least 200 police were deployed to keep order.
A Kiryat Gat Magistrate’s Court on Sunday evening ordered seven of the detainees arrested; the others were released after questioning. The court criticized police actions during the protest and said some of the suspects were detained based on sketchy intelligence information, Ynet reported. The Shin Bet security service also was involved in the arrests.
The judge called the arrests "unreasonable and disproportionate," according to Ynet.
At least 10 former Gush Katif residents and activists were arrested Saturday night in advance of the march.
Sderot police believed the rally was illegal, according to reports, while organizers maintained that they had cleared the event with authorities.
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