On Friday, December 11th, more then 150 people marched to Sheikh Jarrah to show support and solidarity with the families who have been evicted from their houses, and those facing evictions. Upon arriving at the neighborhood, the protesters continued to the Al-Kurd’s home where settlers have taken over parts of the house, making the Al-Kurd lives a living hell.

The Israeli courts, who never acknowledge the rights of Palestinian refugees, have ruled that four families who were evicted from their homes and land in the Nakba ("disaster") of 1948, are to to be evicted again from their houses in Sheikh Jarrah, since the land was owned by Jews some 50 years ago. The court never dealt with the houses and land that were taken from these Palestinian families (and that are now populated by Israelis) since Israeli laws allow for the confiscation of properties of Palestinians refugees. The Palestinian families were removed not to house the descendants of the land's original owners, but for settlers from an extremist organization (Ateret Cohanim) working to expel all Palestinians from Jerusalem.

After an Israeli flag, which represents colonialism and more then 60 years of apartheid and ethnic cleansing, was removed from the stolen settler house window, the police charged the protesters, beating and arresting 23 people, three of them internationals. Requests by some arrestees for medical attention after being pepper-sprayed and beaten were ignored by the police immediately after the arrests.

Update: This Friday (December 18) again, a peaceful demonstration of around 300 people, held in solidarity with the evicted Palestinian residents of Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem, was violently dispersed by the Israeli police.

Read more | Another weekend in Sheikh Jarrah | Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem- What Can Be Done From Abroad | Sheikh Jarrah is no fairy tale

Older Coverage: More than 50 Palestinians Evicted from Jerusalem Homes