Hundreds of people went into the streets of Jerusalem late Saturday night to protest the US Embassy's move into the city and a parade for the Jerusalem Day, both of which they believe are only intended to exacerbate tensions with the Palestinians ,
The demonstration, organized by the co-existence group "Standing Together" and the settlement monitoring organization "Peace Now", saw at least 100 demonstrators marching from King George Street to the Jaffa Gate in the Old City.
Ruptly's video footage showed demonstrators carrying banners demanding, "Do not set Jerusalem on fire". They called slogans such as "We are against an escalation [of the security situation]" and "Netanyahu resignation! Peace is worth more than the embassy transfer," the Jerusalem Post reported.
"I came today because I firmly believe that Jerusalem belongs to everyone ... everyone is sharing Jerusalem, and there is just too much evil done in the name of the Jews," one protester told Ruptly.
The march took place only two days before the US Embassy moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Donald Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 2017. This decision led to widespread protests across the Middle East and condemnation by the UN member states, the EU and Pope Francis.
The move was celebrated by Netanyahu as a "historic landmark".
Meanwhile, the Israeli demonstrators also condemned the flag march, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday as part of Jerusalem Day. The march has long been criticized by many of the left as the participants wear the colors of the Israeli flag and march through the Muslim quarter of the Old Town. It has in the past led to violence between Israeli revelers and Palestinian residents because of the provocation.
The Embassy Relocation and the Jerusalem Day come at a strained time as the Palestinians have been protesting since March as part of the Great Return March on the border with Gaza. These protests will culminate on Tuesday with the Nabka Day, which the Palestinians consider to be a day of mass displacement from their homeland due to the founding of Israel.
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