12-08-24 Dispatch from Zion Square, Wed Aug 22, Thurs Aug 23

Panoramic view of Zion Square, August 17, 2012, 00:33,20, immediately after the lynching/porgrom 

Wed  Aug 22

In my presence, two older shop owners were indoctrinating a younger shop owner never to say anything about what took place in the square last week.

One of them also told the story of an older shop owner, who suffered retribution in the past on political background.  The older shop owners also explicitly stated that they were concerned about retribution.

During the week, police also went around and asked the shopowners if they had any security cameras that showed any of the events.  The shop owners said that there were none.  But one can also see this as indoctrination by police.

Thurs Aug 23
10.00pm - 2:00 police car parked in the square, this time with live policemen in uniform standing next to it.  Two mounted police as well.

2:00am - the two mounted police left.

2:30am - two undercover police stopped two peaceful Arab youths, checked their IDs and took their photographs.  No violence by the police on the Arabs, and no dragging the Arabs into a staircase.

3:00 - one uniformed policemen remained, sitting in the big truck drinking coffee.  Jewish youth are yelling loudly, he appears not to notice it. 

OFF THE RECORD:
In the incident with the two Arab youths late Thursday night, I tried to give the two victims candies, as I often do with visitors to the Square (in part sponsored by a candy store owner).  The undercover police showed me their badges, told me "Police", I told them "I know", and they stopped me from giving the kids the candies.