Police Fail to Halt Vandalism in Jerusalem's Old City During Jerusalem Day March

Following the Jerusalem Day march on Thursday, where tens of thousands of Israelis paraded through the Old City, significant vandalism occurred in the Muslim and Christian quarters. Although Israeli police spokesman Dean Elsdunne assured Dagens Nyheter that all damage would be cleaned by Friday morning, this promise was not fully kept. While municipal cleaners removed trash, shopkeepers were left to manually peel off provocative stickers with slogans like "Jerusalem is ours" and "kill all terrorists." Physical damage included cut electrical wires preventing shutters from opening and smashed Islamic symbols, such as a crescent moon lantern. In the Christian quarter, incidents escalated to looting and violence, with one shop assistant reporting that attackers threw chairs and used pepper spray after he intervened in the theft of drinks. Despite the return of normal public life by Friday afternoon, visible remnants of the unrest, including large Israeli flags and residual stickers, remained prominent in areas like the Via Dolorosa, highlighting the tension and inadequate cleanup efforts following the nationalist celebration.