Israelis confronting Israelis: Right-wing activists angry over leftist rally in Tel Aviv clash with coffee shop goers, shout insults at locals and calling them 'stinking Tel Avivians';
police rush leftist activist Uri Avnery away from scene after rightists charge at him.
Thousands of leftists rally in Tel Aviv amid heavy police presence to mark '43 years of occupation,' condemn lethal takeover of Gaza-bound ship; smoke grenade hurled at protestors, no injuries reported in incident

Published: 06.05.10, 23:03 / Israel News




Israelis confronting Israelis: Dozens of rightist activists, including fans of the Betar Jerusalem Soccer Club, clashed with locals in Tel Aviv Saturday in the wake of the leftist rally in the city.



Earlier, thousands of leftists marched through the city to mark "43 years of occupation" and express their displeasure with the lethal IDF raid on a Gaza-bound ship earlier this week.

Following the leftist rally, dozens of rightists marched along Ibn Gvirol Street, one of Tel Aviv's major thoroughfares, shouting at coffee shop goers: "Stinking Tel Avivians, get out of your bubble…While IDF soldiers are subjected to a lynching you remain indifferent – you're traitors."

'Go to hell'

Several physical clashes were reported between protestors and residents. Some coffee shop goers responded to the rightist activists, telling them to "go to hell" and referring to them as far-rightists who should "go back to the hole they crawled out of.'



Earlier, rightists spotted left-wing activist Uri Avnery going into a taxicab on Ibn Gvirol Street and charged at him, attempting to wrest away the signs he was holding. Police officers at the scene intervened and rushed Avnery away from the scene.




Large police forces escorted the rightist activists, who were holding up a puppet of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and threw Turkish flags into the garbage. At one point police asked the right-wingers to disperse, claiming they were staging an illegal protest. The rightists refused, and eventually police officers left, without dispersing the protestors.

Thousands of leftist activists marched in Tel Aviv Saturday evening to mark "43 years of occupation," while taking the opportunity to slam recent IDF raids on Gaza-bound ships.



A smoke grenade was hurled at the protestors outside the Tel Aviv Museum. No injuries were reported in the incident. Later, right-wing protesters tried to attack leftist activist Uri Avneri, snatching signs he was carrying.






The leftist protestors, who were walking from Rabin Square to the Tel Aviv Museum, were holding up signs reading "The government is sinking all of us – we must aspire for peace." Other marchers held up signs reading "Israel, Palestine, two states for two people" and "We love the country but are ashamed of the government."

The rally has been organized by a leftist coalition that includes Meretz, Peace Now, Gush Shalom, Hadash, Physicians for Human Rights, and other organizations. The march was being lead by Knesset Members Muhammad Barakeh, Dov Khenin, and Haim Oron.



Organizers estimated that 15,000 people took part in the march.






The marchers were surrounded by hundreds of police officers, who were securing the event with the assistance of a police chopper. The forces are preventing anyone who was not part of the protest from approaching the marchers.



At one point, about 100 people holding up Israeli flags arrived to protest against the leftists. The activists were pushed back by police after attempting to approach buses carrying leftist protestors.


Police officers then deployed at the site to separate the sides.

The Israeli government is causing a disaster for the country, MK Oron (Meretz) said while speaking at the event.



"The flotilla crisis reflects lack of judgment, idiocy, and stupidity – it cannot be detached from the overall conduct of the government," he said.




Peace Now Secretary General Yariv Oppenheimer told Ynet: "We're concerned for the state and are embarrassed by a government that leads us to oblivion. This message brings together many population groups, not only within the Left. There's a sense among many Zionists of being fed up with the rightist government."



'Go to hell'

Several physical clashes were reported between protestors and residents. Some coffee shop goers responded to the rightist activists, telling them to "go to hell" and referring to them as far-rightists who should "go back to the hole they crawled out of.'



Earlier, rightists spotted left-wing activist Uri Avnery going into a taxicab on Ibn Gvirol Street and charged at him, attempting to wrest away the signs he was holding. Police officers at the scene intervened and rushed Avnery away from the scene.


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3899404,00.html