Thousands gathered Thursday afternoon, June 5, in Jerusalem for the annual Pride Parade, held this year to mark a decade since the murder of 16-year-old Shira Banki. During the parade many marchers laid wreaths and flowers as they passed the site where Banki was murdered by a Haredi extremist in a 2015 stabbing attack that wounded six other people.

During the march, anti-occupation activists, among them members of Hadash and the Communist Party of Israel, who wore black in protest of the Gaza war and occupation of the Palestinian territories were attacked by police. Cops forcefully seized their signs and also attacked Hadash MK Ofer Cassif.

Hadash and the Communist Party of Israel activists take part in the annual Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem, on June 5, 2025 (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Police reported that 10 people were arrested or detained during the Pride Parade. “Some parade participants began disturbing order while chanting and carrying signs protesting what they termed ‘genocide’ in Gaza. Officers maintaining order confiscated signs but allowed the march to continue,” police said. MK Cassif filed a complaint with the Police Internal Investigations Department after being attacked by officers during the parade. “Police officers violently attacked me and protesters, illegally grabbing and tearing signs,” he stated.

In addition, members of the anti-occupation advocacy group Mehazkim, who were handing out merchandise ahead of the march, told The Times of Israel that police ordered them to remove anti-war messaging from their stand. “We had stickers and shirts about ending the war, bringing the hostages back and ending the occupation,” said an activist with the group. “Police officers requested that we remove all these things, or they’d force us out of the event and fine us. They also took pictures of our IDs.” She said that police justified the decision by insisting the event was “not political.” even though several center-left political parties were able to freely distribute their merchandise.