Policeman, disabled protester exchange blows
Disabled protester enters altercation with police officer, saying he is intentionally running him over with wheelchair; protestor proceeds to punch the officer, who retaliates by slapping him across the face.
As more and more people with disabilities and their allies join rallies and marches in protest of low their disability benefits, one demonstration turned violent on Tuesday when a disabled protester hit a police officer, who subsequently hit him back.
The protesters initially made their way from Latrun to Jerusalem, driving slowly on Highway 1 and causing heavy traffic congestion. Upon arriving in the capital, they blocked the entry gate to the Prime Minister's Residence and later moved on to Jerusalem's Paris Square, all the while blocking roads by driving at a speed of 5 km/h and ignoring police officers' requests to evacuate the road.
Ofer Sofer, one of the protesters, rolled his wheelchair over to a police officer, seemingly intentionally. When the police officer told Sofer, "You're running me over," the latter responded that indeed he was, before repeatedly rolling his wheelchair over the officer's feet.
Sofer then punched the officer, who retaliated by slapping Sofer across the face.
Sofer hit the officer at least two more times, while another protester held the officer in place.
Despite the incident being caught on video, with Sofer seen hitting the officer first, Sofer claimed he was the victim.
"One of my activists is a little unwell, and only I can control him," he later told Ynet. "I saw him arguing with an officer and asked the officer to let me talk to him, because he only understands it when I speak. The officer told me to beat it and punched me."
