Israeli police beat mourners with batons at funeral procession for veteran journalist
CNN
By Atika Shubert and Abeer Salman, CNN
Mourners flocked to Jerusalem’s streets on Friday to attend the burial of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead on Wednesday while reporting on a military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin, and were met with violence by Israeli police as they tried to carry the coffin on foot. The funeral was taking place a day after a memorial procession that brought thousands to the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Hundreds gathered on Friday before the funeral outside St. Joseph hospital in East Jerusalem, where Abu Akleh’s body remained until the burial. Muslims performed Friday prayers and mourners chanted “walking, walking on foot,” demanding that Abu Akleh’s coffin be carried and transported on foot from the hospital to the Greek Orthodox Church, where a service will be held, and then to the burial site.
Israeli police were lined outside the hospital, according to CNN reporters. Police roadblocks were set up to and from near the hospital.
Mourners carried Abu Akleh’s coffin out of the hospital, but were met with strong resistance from Israeli police who compelled them to transport the body by car. A flash bomb and tear gas were fired, according to CNN reporters.
Al Jazeera live footage showed Israeli police beating mourners with batons as they struggled to carry Abu Akleh’s coffin. The body was in turn brought back inside the hospital and then transported by car, said Al Jazeera.
The 51-year-old Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist was a prominent voice across the Arab world, delivering what many said was “the voice of Palestinian suffering” and their “aspirations of freedom.”
The circumstances of her death remain unclear. The Palestinian Authority on Thursday denied Israel’s offer of a joint investigation, insisting on an independent process and vowing to try those accused of her killing to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Shtayyeh told Al Jazeera on Thursday that the results of their investigation will be released soon and will include the autopsy report.
Israel says it is investigating the death of Abu Akleh. Asked by CNN how she was killed, IDF international spokesperson Amnon Shefler said Thursday “we just don’t know yet” who shot her.
Israeli military investigators confiscated the guns of some IDF troops as part of their inquiry, reported the Washington Post on Thursday, citing an unnamed IDF official. The weapons were taken so that they can be made available for ballistics testing, the official said.
Givara Al-Buderi, a fellow Al Jazeera correspondent and a close personal friend of Abu Akleh, said she saw the entry wound of a bullet just above the right eyebrow and was told by the doctor that a part of the bullet had remained lodged in Abu Akleh’s skull.
Al-Buderi was called by doctors to help remove Abu Akleh’s clothing and change her for the funeral.
“We took off her clothes and had to put a white dress on her,” Al-Buderi told CNN, “I tried to put my hand behind her head, but there was nothing there.
“I felt around but there was nothing, nothing left.”
With contribution from Nadeen Ebrahim, Mostafa Salem and Celine Alkhaldi in Abu Dhabi.
The-CNN-Wire
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