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| Israeli police forcibly remove Coptic protesters in Jerusalem | |
| 2018-10-25 | |
| [Al Jazeera] Israeli police broke up a sit-in by Coptic monks at a major Christian holy site in Jerusalem as they were protesting against restoration work at a nearby monastery claimed by their sect. Scuffles broke out on Wednesday between police and priests in the forecourt of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. "The police attacked us and forced us to leave the area," Coptic Orthodox Church front man Father Markos Al Orshalimy told AFP news agency, following the protest in front of the holy site. Al Orshalimy said several monks had been lightly injured, while one was placed in durance vile I ain't sayin' nuttin' widdout me mout'piece! and later released after the Egyptian embassy intervened. Images on social media showed coppers holding a monk down on the ground, then carrying him away in handcuffs. Egypt, churches condemn police tussle with Jerusalem monks
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located in Jerusalem’s Old City, is shared by several Christian denominations. A long-standing status quo governs the sects’ ownership and management of the holy site. Each group is fiercely protective of its territory, and even perceived alterations to the status quo have resulted in arguments or violence. The Copts were protesting the start of restoration work by the Israel Antiquities Authority at the St. Michael the Archangel Chapel, which both the Ethiopian and Egyptian Orthodox churches claim. The antiquities authority was to perform repairs after a stone fell out of place in the chapel in September 2017. On Wednesday, police said priests blocked the entrance and barred the workers’ entry, and officers were forced to remove the monks who were blocking workers from accessing the building site. | |
| Posted by:Fred |