Rally of Israel's Ethiopian Jews turns violent again
JERUSALEM - Several thousand people, mostly from Israel's Jewish Ethiopian minority, protested in Tel Aviv against racism and police brutality on Sunday shutting down a major highway and scuffling with police.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said about 3,000 people took part in Sunday's protest. He said it was mostly peaceful but there were some minor scuffles with police. Protesters blocked roads in central Tel Aviv as well as a main highway leading to the city.
It was the second such protest in several days and supporters say the demonstrations will continue. The first rally last week in Jerusalem turned violent.
The Jerusalem Post's Ben Hartman reported police said five officer's were hurt in Sunday's rally.
Riot police in Rabin Square, bottles being thrown pic.twitter.com/U1d445qPT3
— Ben Hartman (@Benhartman) May 3, 2015
Israel's Ethiopian community was shaken last week when footage emerged of an Ethiopian Israeli in an army uniform being beaten by police.
Protestor's marched in Tel Aviv, with some blowing whistles or chanting "violent police officers belong in jail."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will meet Monday with representatives of the community as well as the beaten solider.
Thousands of Ethiopian Jews live in Israel, many of them secretly airlifted into the country in 1984 and 1990, but their absorption into Israeli society has been rocky.