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Official Says Police Used Force Against Students when Students Resorted to Force

April 14, 1970
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Minister of Police Shlomo Hillel told the Knesset today that student demonstrators in Jerusalem last week used force and only them did the police respond in kind. He said one demonstrator told him that orderly demonstrations were not enough to attract attention and therefore the youngsters decided on a disorderly one to gain the attention of the world press. The demonstrations, by several hundred Hebrew University students and members of various leftist and Communist factions, broke out twice in Jerusalem in front of Premier Golda Meir’s office last Wednesday and outside her home on Saturday. The youngsters were protesting government policies which, they alleged prevented peace with the Arabs. Mr. Hillel spoke in reply to charges of police brutality. Meanwhile leaders of the leftist Madam faction today dissociated themselves from those demonstrators who claim they came from kibbutzim of the Madam movement. According to the leaders, those youth broke away from Madam to join an Israeli New Left faction. Tel. Aviv police chief Yehudi Raga today defended the use of force by Jerusalem police against several hundred youths who demonstrated Saturday. Mr. Tragi said if demonstrators employed force the police had no alternative but to respond with force. The police official said police would not interfere with orderly demonstrations. Referring to rumors that leftist groups planned demonstrations here against police force in Jerusalem, Mr. Praga said measures would be taken to counter them.

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