Who is Eyad Hallaq and Why Is His Story So Important?
On Saturday, Eyad Hallaq, a 32-year-old Palestinian man with autism, was murdered by Israeli police next to his school for special needs in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Two officers opened fire on him after suspecting he might be armed because he was “wearing gloves”. Unable to communicate properly, he fled in fear after they asked him to stop, and was shot dead while they chased him.
In mourning their son’s death, Hallaq’s family explained that he was classified as disabled, and was not capable of harming anyone.
Protesters went out in Jerusalem and Jaffa on Saturday evening, with some carrying photos of George Floyd, killed at the hands of a racist police officer in the USA last week, and whose murder sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and racism in the country.
Commenting on the two incidents, the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy tweeted saying, “Eyad and George were victims of similar systems of supremacy and oppression. They must be dismantled. Palestinian Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter. It is time for justice”.
