The funeral of the journalist killed in the West Bank have been disturbed by violence of the Israeli police.
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This day of national Palestinian funeral begins under the batons. Shortly before 2 p.m. Friday, May 13, Israeli police broke into the courtyard of Saint-Joseph hospital in East Jerusalem, hence the body of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh must join the old town. Thousands of Palestinians are waiting to pay a final tribute to this woman, convinced that she was killed by an army shot, during a raid in Jénine (north of the West Bank) on May 11.
The police load those who gathered in the hospital courtyard. They push the men who had seized the coffin against a wall and who were advancing towards the gates, towards the street. They are on two of the carriers. One of them receives at least ten baton strokes in the ribs and on the shoulder, a kick on the buttocks, and ends up collapsing. The coffin switches to 45 degrees, live in front of the cameras, but does not fall.
“The police wanted to prevent them from taking him to procession through the sheikh jarrah district. They struck without distinction men, elderly women and children. They fired deafening grenades at the entrance to the building, entered and terrified patients, “said the director of the establishment Jamil Koussa. Fourteen people were injured, three of which were hit in the head by metal balls surrounded by rubber. All returned home at the end of the day.
An Israeli officer had previously warned Mr. Koussa, the representative of the European Union and the French consul – inheritance of the Ottoman era, Paris remains the symbolic protector of the Saint -Joseph hospital. He didn’t want to see Palestinian flags, nor hearing nationalist songs. “But no one can control this! It is not in our hands or in those of the family,” sighs the director. The day before, the police had made the same request to the relatives of Shirin Abu Akleh, according to the Israeli Arab deputy Ahmad Tibi. The very afternoon of his death, already, of the police had tried to have a flag from their house with Jerusalem, where they received condolences.
“Nationalist provocations”
Police claims to have reacted songs on Friday that she describes as “nationalist provocations”. She says she has received stones. She broadcasts videos, where we see men throwing objects that look like bottles of water, shortly before her assault, as well as other images of pebbles lying on the ground, without context. In Washington, the White House said it was “deeply troubled (…). We deplore the intrusion in what should have been a calm procession”.
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