(Haifa, Saturday, 19 May 2018). Protests have erupted all over the world in recent

weeks in response to barbaric and inhumane military attacks by Israeli forces against

unarmed Palestinian civilians protesting in Gaza in the “Great March of Return”. The

actions of the Israeli military, which has employed live ammunition (over 3,500 rounds),

have resulted to date in the killing of 106 Palestinians, including 15 children, and the injury

of over 12,000 more. Protests in solidarity with the Gaza victims have taken place in Israel,

and the city of Haifa has experienced the highest number of cases of police brutality against

demonstrators, in addition to arrests of activists and students. Demonstrators have been

gathering daily to peacefully exercise their right to protest and stand in solidarity with the

“Great March of Return” victims. As the protests in Haifa have continued, police have

escalated their use of violence against protesters (https://972mag.com/open-up-or-well-tase-you-police-arrest-activists-behind-gaza-protests/135587/), culminating in mass

arrests and widespread brutality witnessed yesterday evening, Friday, 18 May 2018.

Police officers and Special Forces arrived to the protest armed and equipped to disrupt

the peaceful demonstration. Police rapidly barged in and charged the crowd, beating the

demonstrators without provocation and making sporadic arrests, as is clearly evident from

video documentation and photographs taken at the scene.

 

Twenty-one people were arrested in Haifa. Many, if not all, of the detainees (reports are

still incoming) were brutally beaten by the arresting officers while in custody at the police

station and in interrogation rooms, some while handcuffed. Some of the victims were taken

to the Emergency Room (ER) and four are hospitalized for serious injuries. Amongst the

hospitalized, Jafar Farah, Director of the Mossawa Center, who was rushed to the ER with a

broken knee and severe blunt trauma injuries to the chest and abdomen sustained during a

brutal attack on him by police officers while in custody.

 

The undersigned Palestinian civil society organizations in Israel wish to express our

deepest concerns and outrage at this brutal conduct by the Israeli police against unarmed

protesters, and demand the immediate release of all detainees. We also request a full and

independent investigation into the unjustified arrests and beatings of protesters while in

police custody.

 

Israel has increased its systematic suppression of the basic rights of citizens to freedom

of assembly, protest, and expression, some of the most fundamental human rights, in

response to peaceful demonstrations launched in solidarity with the Gaza protests in Haifa

and elsewhere. It is the state’s responsibility to protect these rights, in accordance with

international human rights laws, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If

Israel refuses to protect the basic human rights of its citizens, then the international

community has a duty to intervene and take a firm and decisive stand against these

violations.

 

Below is a list of the protestors detained in Haifa on18 May 2018:

Bilal Zidani

Mahmood Taha

Said Swidan

Yoram Bar Chaim

Jafer Farah

Naif Shaquor

Bisan Farah

Majd Azzam

Ali Mawassi

Ammar Abu Qandeel

Maher Salamy

Mohammad Kayal

Emad Kayal

Anan Odeh

Bashar Ali

Fadi Andraus

Najwan Abu Alala

Oz Marinov

Shady Kassis

Osama Tanous

 

 

Signed by,

Mossawa Center

Women Against Violence

Al Tufula Center

Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel

Kayan – Feminist Organization

The Arab Association for Human Rights (HRA)

The Arab Center for the Development of Social Media

Ad’ar – Forum of Professionals to Oppose the Murder of Women

Assiwar - Feminist Arab Movement

Masar Instiute for Education

Entema wa Ataa

Galilee Institute

Al Mashghal

AWC – Arab Women in the Center

Association for the Defense of the Rights of the Internally Displaced (ADRID)

The Follow Up Committee of Arab Education Issues

Muntada – The Arab Forum for the Sexuality of Individual and Family

Tishreen – Al-Muthalath

Humanity Crew

CEGAS

Aswat – Palestinian Feminist Center for Sexual and Gender Freedoms

I’lam – Arab Center for Media, Freedom, Development, and Research

Baladna – Arab Youth Association

Al-Zahraa – The Organization for the Advancement of Women

Ma’an – The Forum of Arab Women’s Organizations in the Negev

Intima Wa Amal

Mahpach Taghir