Clashes in Silwan, 13 Injured, Three Detained

Clashes broke out between residents and Border Police on Tuesday in Silwan, eastern Yerushalayim, following the demolition of a butcher shop on a site reserved for the establishment of a promenade to connect the City of David to Jewish heritage sites in the neighborhood.

Thirteen people were injured in the clashes, and three were detained by police.

Aside from the butcher shop, a further 20 buildings have received demolition orders from the municipality, in an area that up until recently was considered prohibited for construction.

Hundreds of Arab residents now live in the area, claiming that the municipality has no master plan for the future of the site.

The project of the Yerushalayim municipality, which is supposed to create a continuous promenade from Mount Zion to the Garbage Gate, led to the issuance of demolition orders for about 100 houses.

The Yerushalayim municipality said that “this morning an enforcement operation was carried out in a small temporary building of about 30 square meters built of light and dangerous material without a permit. The building was located on the roof of an existing building and posed a significant safety hazard. The building served as a meat-selling business, which operated without a business license and also posed a health hazard to the public. The demolition order was issued by the court and approved by all the courts, including the district court.”