Jerusalem’s old city erupted in chaos and violence on Friday as “Israeli police on Friday moved in on a crowd of mourners at the funeral of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, beating demonstrators with batons and causing pallbearers to briefly drop the casket,” The Associated Press describes.
Thousands of Palestinians descended on the Christian quarter to pay their final respects to slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh murdered in cold blood by Israeli army.
The Qatar-based network has accused Israeli forces of shooting her in the face when two days ago she was covering a West Bank raid, and had a press flak jacket and helmet on. An Al Jazeera statement alleged that it was an intentional “assassination”.
Mourners of the 51-year-old Palestinian-American Christian had draped her casket in a Palestinian flag, and that’s reportedly what triggered the beefed up Israeli security presence from allowing her funeral procession to pass.
— Shereen Allam🇪🇬 🇵🇸✌️ (@shereen_allam) May 13, 2022
Everyone switch on to Al Jazeera right now. This is one of the most horrifying things I’ve seen.
IOF is attacking mourners carrying Shireen’s body from the hospital right now. They’re using stun grenades and tear gas and charging at them with horses and batons. pic.twitter.com/wUY80WO6su
— Khadija (@khadljasays) May 13, 2022
“The funeral procession began at the hospital in east Jerusalem, with last respects then to be paid at a church in the Old City before her body was laid to rest alongside her parents in a nearby cemetery,” CBS News reports. “But the violence began as soon as Abu Akleh’s casket was carried out of the hospital gates, where Israeli security forces had gathered.”
The report continues, “Video showed them surging toward the funeral procession before grabbing and roughing up some of the mourners, including those carrying the coffin.” Indeed the footage shows a brutal attack with batons and kicking, which even targets the pallbearers…
This will never be unseen. pic.twitter.com/Gtfrjqs6Q3
— Riya Al (@RiyaAlsanah) May 13, 2022
Al Jazeera, which has been devoting round-the-clock coverage to Abu Akleh’s killing, given she was their longtime star reporter in the region, cited an eyewitness who claimed Israeli security blocked the funeral in order to ensure only Christians were in attendance.
“The Israeli army is asking people if they are Christian or Muslim. If you’re Muslim you weren’t allowed in,” the source stated. Other reports said the Israelis wanted to clamp down on any Palestinian symbols and flags.
Below: initial memorial prayers by local church leaders on Wednesday after her death, prior to the burial on Friday.
FYI Shireen Abu Akleh was a Palestinian Christian and this photo is from her funeral today. pic.twitter.com/Y7bYvg9y4T
— Kevork Almassian🇸🇾🇦🇲 (@KevorkAlmassian) May 11, 2022
CBS noted that “At one point her casket appeared to nearly topple to the ground amid the melee. Projectiles could be seen flying through the air as Palestinians chanted anti-Israeli slogans.”
The veteran Al Jazeera journalist was killed while she was on assignment in Jenin in the occupied West Bank
At the time of her death, Shireen Abu Akleh was wearing a vest that clearly identified her as a member of the press (MEE/Latifeh Abdellatif)