Court extends remand of 5 in police barricade theft ahead of anti-PM protest

The Jerusalem District Court extends the remand of five people arrested yesterday on suspicion of attempting to steal police barricades used at weekly protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A total of 13 people were arrested in the case Saturday but were later released by the city’s Magistrate’s Court. The District Court later accepted a police appeal to re-apprehend five of them.

The remand of the five has been extended until tomorrow.

An attorney representing the detainees has said that the activists tried to move the barriers as they were endangering protesters, but did not intend to steal them.

Demonstrators have complained the barricades make them feel trapped and unable to social distance as required during the pandemic.