Thousands gathered for The Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance at Independence Park, under heavy police presence.
Uniformed officers, police and fire vehicles, double-buses blocking intersections, horses on patrol, even plain clothes security were out too.
Keren Hayesod Street was closed for the route of what people are calling the Jerusalem Gay Parade.
Liberty Bell Park was the destination of the march.
Crowds arrived to the park and had to go through one small security gate to enter.
Leaving plenty of time for interviews with the media, who were out for the event.
What should have been a happy day was marred by tragedy when a man stabbed 6 of the marchers. The stabber was “an ultra-orthodox Jewish man” who was recently released from jail, where he had been serving time for having stabbed 3 people at the 2005 march.
Walking away, I saw the large city buses were still blocking the road. A young man dressed in a white shirt and dark pants, the “uniform” of an orthodox Jew, was stopped by helmeted police. He and his bag were being thoroughly searched.
While across the road in the Bloomfield Park, a group of Arab women and children were having a picnic.
The US Consulate posted this large banner for the Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance.
The right for all to love and live with dignity, that sounds like a good place to start.
#LoveWins gee I sure hope so.
