200 Israelis took to the streets in Jerusalem on Wednesday in protest of the attack by Israeli soccer fans on Arab cleaning personnel at the capital’s Malha shopping center.

A large police force secured the event, which protested the incident last week in which hundreds of Beitar Jerusalem supporters assaulted Arab workers at the mall. Betar Jerusalem soccer fans attacked Arab cleaners. Last Monday after a game, more than 300 fans poured into the food court at the mall and chanted “Death to Arabs!” and “Muhammad is dead!” and attacked a number of cleaners.

The demonstration against racism in Jerusalem, near Malha Mall (Photo: Al Ittihad)

“We came to say something simple – that the ugly incident from last week – is not our way,” one of the organizers of the protest said. “Jerusalem belongs to all its residents – Jews and Arabs.” The protest was organized by the Tag Meir (Bright Tag) organization, an umbrella group of activists dedicated to stopping racism and sexism in Israeli society.

On Sunday, six days after the riot and after widespread public outcry, police announced that they were starting an investigation. An Arab cleaner at the food court said on Wednesday that it took over an hour for police to arrive after they were called during the riot. Jerusalem Police spokeswoman Shlomit Bajshi said no arrests were made because by the time police arrived, “the rioters had dispersed.” Initially, no arrests were made in the incident. However following a “Haaretz” report, the Jerusalem Police announced that it had opened an official investigation over the riots.