"Israeli officers closed an event celebrating Christmas on Sunday, confiscating equipment, and arresting the Palestinian Santa Claus, as well as a DJ and a street vendor. In a video, police can be seen pushing the men to the ground and handcuffing them as bystanders watched. The Israeli police said in a statement that the man wearing the Santa Claus costume resisted arrest and assaulted an officer."
"The Mossawa Center, a rights groups that advocates for Palestinian citizens of Israel, said police used excess force on the men and that the raid on the music hall was done without legal authority. The arrests came as Palestinians celebrate Christmas across the occupied West Bank and Gaza amid continual restrictions on daily life by Israeli forces. Celebrations were held for the first time in Bethlehem since the war in Gaza started, with marching bands blowing bagpipes through the streets of the birthplace of Jesus."
Israeli police closed a Haifa Christmas event, confiscating equipment and arresting a Palestinian man dressed as Santa Claus, a DJ and a street vendor. Video shows police pushing the men to the ground and handcuffing them while bystanders watched. Israeli police said the Santa resisted arrest and assaulted an officer. A Palestinian rights group said police used excessive force and lacked legal authority for the raid. Celebrations occurred across the occupied West Bank and Gaza, with Bethlehem holding public festivities and Gaza's small Christian community marking Christmas amid rubble and immense civilian casualties. Israeli attacks and settler violence continued elsewhere.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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