Man charged for throwing torches at police during anti-government protest

The State Attorney’s Office files an indictment against an anti-government protester who allegedly threw torches at police officers during a demonstration in Jerusalem in April, on charges of obstructing a police officer under aggravated circumstances and committing an act of recklessness and negligence.

According to the indictment, Tel Aviv resident Roy Gordon threw a burning torch at a police position during a demonstration close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private home on Azza Street in Jerusalem on April 2.

The torch did not hit anyone and was extinguished by a police officer after it hit the ground.

Several minutes later Gordon threw another torch, which had gone out but reignited as it flew through the air and eventually hit the horse of a mounted police officer, before being extinguished as it fell to the ground.

The protest in which the incident took place generated furious response from government officials at the time, after some protesters tried to break through police lines to get closer to the prime minister’s home.

Police used tough riot control methods at the time, dragging away protester Ayala Metzger, daughter-in-law of Hamas hostage Yoram, and spraying skunk spray from water cannons at others.