Clashes erupt in Old City ahead of Jerusalem Day flag march, protesters chant ‘Death to Arabs’

By Sam Sokol 5 June 2024, 2:09 pm

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Activists comfort a man in the Old City amid violent clashes break out in the Old City of Jerusalem between national religious youth and Arabs, June 5, 2024. (The Times of Israel/Sam Sokol)

Violent clashes break out in the Old City of Jerusalem’s Arab quarter just inside the Damascus gate ahead of this afternoon’s nationalist Jerusalem Day flag march.

National Religious youth throw stones and attack local Arab residents. The smell of gas wafts on the air as police try to separate the two sides.

The nationalist youths attack journalists to prevent them from filming while a police officer shoves an Arabic photojournalist, who sustains a minor cut on the forehead.

A marcher tries to knock down a Times of Israel reporter’s phone while filming the violence.

Protesters chant “Death to the Arabs.”