6 Animal Rights Activists Hurt In Protest Against Chicken-Swinging Rite
Image by getty images
(JTA) — Animal rights activists protesting the Jewish custom of swinging around a chicken were assaulted in the Israeli city of Hadera.
Six of the activists, one man and five women, were lightly wounded in the incident Thursday night, in which residents in Hadera began throwing stones and other objects at the protesters who came to demonstrate against the residents’ partaking in the custom of Kapparot, the pre-Yom Kippur folk custom of swinging a chicken around one’s head as a way of purging sin, which some believe is cruel.
Some of the attackers targeted the protesters from balconies of residential homes, the Israel Broadcasting Corporation reported Friday. A video of the incident shows that a fire extinguisher was also hurled at the protesters.
Police stood by and failed to interfere during the demonstration, which according to the corporation was conducting legally with permission.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
