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| By Efrat Weiss November 10, 2006 |
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| AP |
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The police and the Jerusalem public can "pride" themselves in reinstating sanity in the city, Jerusalem Police chief Ilan Franco said on Friday, hours after the end of the gay pride parade in the city.
"This test is one of the most complicated that the Jerusalem police and the police in general ever witnessed," he said.
Most attendees made it to the city to take part in the parade after stormy weeks between organizers and haredim who opposed the event.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's daughter, Dana, who is a lesbian, attended the event.
Organizers wanted to march across the city but in light of the sensitive security situation and threats by haredim to attack the attendees, organizers agreed to hold the parade in the Givat Ram stadium.
Adam Rousso, who was stabbed by a haredi man during last year's parade took the stage, condemned violence and spoke of the importance to hold the parade in Jerusalem. "It is easy to see we are right. That's another war to free Jerusalem. The blood that was on the flag last year will stop no one."
Jerusalem City Council member Saar Netanel summarized the sweet-and-sour event expressing his disappointment with Jerusalem Municipality officials and politicians: "We didn't expect incitement of this wild kind from so many public figures. We didn't expect such shameful silence from our leader. We hardly heard the voice of the Jerusalem Mayor.
"I remind you: this is a man who was elected based on a promise to maintain the status quo and to be the mayor of all. This man went underground as his city was roiling. We didn't hear the voice of Israel's prime minister either. No one said a word, all waited for blood to flow. In days like these, when one party threatens another, the leaders of this country should have stood up and said, 'enough is enough.'"
Scuffle at 'alternative' parade
The event itself so far kicked off smoothly and without any hitches, but earlier friday dozens of people decided that they were not satisfied with the compromise to hold the gay pride events enclosed in the Givat Ram stadium, and set out on their own alternative pride parade.
The alternative parade was not coordinated with the police and as the gay pride activists marched into Jerusalem's Bell Park, a scuffle broke out between the marcher and extreme-right activists. Police were alerted to the scene and separated the sides.
In Gan Sacher in Jerusalem five youth wear arrested with brass knuckles, knives and sticks. One held a gun with a permit. They were held for further questioning.
The article was reprinted with permission from ynetnews.
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