Today, Wednesday, tensions arose between protesters and security forces near the U.S. embassy in Awkar after demonstrators attempted to breach the barbed wire and threw stones, prompting security forces to respond with tear gas and water hoses to disperse the crowd. The protesters began gathering at the junction to the U.S. embassy around 3 PM in large numbers, waving Palestinian flags and holding signs in support of the Palestinian people, chanting slogans condemning the international community's silence regarding the massacres committed by Israel against civilians in Gaza.
The security forces and army implemented strict security measures, blocking all roads leading to the embassy, especially in the Awkar square which was secured with barbed wire and iron barriers. A protest had started last night, Tuesday, toward the junction of the U.S. embassy in Awkar, in response to the Israeli attack on the Baptist hospital in Gaza, amidst heightened security measures enforced by the security forces and the army. All access roads to the embassy were blocked with barbed wire.
The U.S. embassy announced that protesters caused damage to private property in the surrounding neighborhood, but embassy staff remained safe and were not harmed.
