Sporadic brawls continued for several hours, with protesters in body armor and gas masks - many armed with bats and shields - rushing at each other, throwing various projectiles and deploying pepper spray. Authorities claimed they watched the altercations closely, but each skirmish appeared to involve willing participants and the events were not enduring in time, so officers were not deployed to intervene.

Police were only responding to certain incidents or criminal activity, like reports of a "male subject" pointing a firearm at the crowd.

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As the demonstration escalated into sporadic scuffles between police and protesters, at least 30 people were detained, local media reported.

The protest brought people together over a variety of issues, including the long-standing corruption charges against Netanyahu, as well as the 20+ percent unemployment rate and overall state of Israeli economy.

The government's handling of the coronavirus crisis also faced criticism, as this week Israel passed the 100 thousand cases mark, a relatively significant number for the 9 million nation.

Activists of the so-called Black Flag movement, that perceives Netanyahu as a 'threat to Israel's democracy', were spotted among the protesters as well.

The new round of protests comes just before the August 25 deadline to pass the state budget. The government has been in deadlock over it for weeks already, and blowing the deadline could result in a new general election - the fourth one in less than two years.

Israeli police officer caught violently punching protesters

A senior Israeli police officer is in hot water after he was filmed violently punching people during mass protests in Jerusalem. The officer, however, claims he was defending himself from rowdy protesters.

The Justice Ministry launched an investigation into the conduct of Jerusalem District Police Chief Superintendent Nisso Guetta on Sunday.

The high-ranking officer was filmed overnight punching and throwing protesters to the ground during a demonstration against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

While the footage available does not conclusively show what exactly prompted the officer's violent behavior, he claimed the protesters attacked him and he was merely defending himself.

Another hot topic is the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis. This week, the total number of Covid-19 cases reached over 100,000 - arguably quite a large number for a nation of 9 million people.

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Around a dozen shots can be heard in the video, which immediately went viral, sparking accusations of excessive use of force. Authorities argued that tasers were "ineffective" and failed to stop the suspect, and that he was still armed when he tried to enter the store with people inside.

The officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave as the Louisiana State Police conducts an investigation, in coordination with local community leaders, while interim Police Chief Scott Morgan promised to "do whatever we can as far as transparency goes."

In the meantime, activists organized a vigil and protest at the scene of the shooting on Saturday, while the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana called the incident a "murder" and "brutal killing."

23 Aug, 2020 03:41 RT

Riot police officers have arrested several Black Lives Matter protesters blocking roads in Lafayette, Louisiana following a vigil for a man shot and killed by cops while resisting arrest and trying to "walk away."

Crowds of activists gathered on Saturday evening at the Shell gas station along Evangeline Thruway, where Trayford Pellerin, 31, was shot and killed Friday night.

A group of protesters demanding justice soon spilled onto the road, blocking it with a human chain, and declaring that "nobody gets past this line!"

Initially peaceful, some protesters reportedly threw bottles and rocks at police cars, and faced off with a line of riot cops.

Police declared the gathering "unlawful," making several arrests and using smoke grenades to disperse the remaining crowd, according to Acadiana Advocate reporter Katie Gagliano.

Pellerin was shot nearly a dozen times after Lafayette Police Department officers responded to a disturbance call about "a man with a knife" at a gas station around 8pm Friday, and later died in a hospital.

Denouncing the incident as yet another example of systemic racism, BLM activists and a local ACLU branch branded it a cold-blooded "murder," and accused police of escalating a "routine encounter" into a "deadly shooting spree."

While the investigation is ongoing, Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory was forced to address public anger in a late Saturday statement, insisting that the officers used deadly force against Pellerin only "when it became apparent the armed individual was attempting to enter a convenience store, threatening the lives of the customers and workers inside."

An armed individual was shot and killed by Lafayette police officers after an extended pursuit, numerous efforts to de-escalate the situation, and multiple tries to subdue the knife-wielding suspect through the use of tasers.

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