JERUSALEM (JTA) — At least 18 left-wing demonstrators were arrested in eastern Jerusalem during one of the largest protests there in recent months.
Last Friday’s demonstration included left-wing activists, tourists and several well-known current and former politicians, including Yossi Sarid and Avraham Burg, among the reported 300 protesters.
The protesters were released Saturday night pending a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
The protests in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood against the move by Jewish settlers to remove Palestinian residents from homes they claim are Jewish-owned have become a weekly event.
Police said the protest was illegal and told the demonstrators before the protest began.
"This is a crime against the Arab population and a crime against the peace process," said Hadash (Arab) Party chairman Mohammed Barakeh.
Some 20 left-wing supporters were arrested after they tried to break into Jewish-owned homes in the neighborhood and allegedly attacked Jews worshiping at a nearby holy tomb.
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