Last year's gay parade in Jerusalem
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Haredim riot in protest of gay march
Photo: Dudi Vaaknin
7,000 police officers to secure gay parade
Police will also oversee Orthodox protest against parade; attorney demands cancellation of march due to firefighters’ slow-down strike
Some 7,000 police and Border Guard officers are expected to secure the gay pride parade scheduled to begin at roughly 5 pm Thursday in Jerusalem.
Orthodox Community
Neta Sela
Jerusalem's haredi community accuses police of collective punishment, violence toward pride parade protestors. Police say force used in self defense
Magen David Adom emergency services will deploy 45 ambulances and 200 paramedics.
The participants are expected to begin marching along King David Street toward Liberty Bell Park, where a rally will be held.
Several streets in the capital will be closed for traffic as of 2 pm.
Police will also oversee the demonstration of members of Jerusalem’s Orthodox community, which is scheduled to take place simultaneously at the intersection of Jaffa and Sarei Yisrael streets.
Twenty-three Orthodox men were detained and two police officers were lightly injured in riots that took place in Jerusalem in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, Attorney Naftali Wertzberg sent a letter to Jerusalem Police chief Ilan Franco demanding that the gay pride parade be cancelled due to the firefighters’ slow-down strike in the capital.
Wertzberg said he would appeal to the High Court of Justice if his demand was not met.
The director of the Open House organization for gays and lesbians, Noa Satat, said she was working to obtain alternative fire trucks, adding that “if there’s a problem the parade will be held next week after the strike ends”.
