A broken cellular phone tower in Northern Israel Druze town, resulted in 40 people being injured in clashes – amongst them 27 police officers, MDA Paramedics and IDF officers.

Apparently, the fights broke out early in the morning when Israeli police entered the village to arrest a number of locals suspected of torching the antenna two days ago.

A police chief told Haaretz, that while the arrests were taking place, a group of young men (some masked) aged began firing shots at police and hurled stun and tear gas grenades.

Peki’in Mayor Hamed Kheir said residents were furious about a cellular antenna installed on top of a chicken coop in New Peki’in, a nearby Jewish community.

“The problem is the antenna. For a month we’ve been talking with the antenna’s owner to get him to take it down, because in Peki’in there are more than 100 cancer patients,” Kheir told Army Radio. He added that youths from his town had destroyed the antenna over the weekend.

The mayor also said that 200 policemen had entered the village. He said the police force was too large for such an incident, and that they should have coordinated their arrival with him beforehand.

Rioters also set fire to the house of one of the few Jewish families who live near an ancient synagogue in the town, witnesses said. The house was empty and no one was hurt in the fire.

Local residents are demanding an apology from PM Olmert – and an immediate inquiry into the use of live ammunition (which officials defend using).

(Sources: Haaretz)

(Photo Credit: Ynet / MDA Spokesperson)