Police blast ‘criminality under the guise of protest’ after bins, cars torched by activists for hostages

Police slam “criminality under the guise of protest” after Jerusalem activists set fire to dumpsters and tires near the prime minister’s residence and office this morning.

The fires, which spread to consume several vehicles and forced residents in nearby buildings to evacuate, “represent a red line,” the police say in a statement. “These actions have nothing to do with lawful protest, they are the acts of lawbreakers behaving like criminals.”

Police also take the media to task and call on news outlets to denounce the acts, saying they “regret that some choose to portray such actions as legitimate protest.”

Protesters are planning to demonstrate throughout the day in Jerusalem and this evening are set to stage a mass rally outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence.