Clashes Erupt at Jerusalem Checkpoint Over Land Day

By Haaretz March 30, 2012

Clashes erupted on Friday in the north of Jerusalem between IDF soldiers and Palestinian protesters marking Land Day. Protesters at the Kalandia checkpoint hurled rocks at soldiers, who responded with stun grenades and tear gas.

Israeli security forces have been on heightened alert Friday ahead of planned demonstrations in Israel and in neighboring countries, with Israeli officials braced for possible acts of violence by demonstrators. In Bethlehem, around 100 people tried to stage a march, but were blocked by Palestinian police.

The demonstrations at Kalandia, and at other potential flashpoints in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, were expected to exacerbate once Muslim Friday prayers were over.

In anticipation of the unrest, Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered all crossing points into the West Bank closed for a 24-hour period, the Israeli military announced, while additional troops have been deployed along the borders with Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.

For more, go to Haaretz.com

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