Thousands of protesters march against police brutality in Israel

Clash erupted between police and Ethiopian Israeli protesters over systematic discrimination by police after an off-duty officer shot dead a teenager in Haifa suburb.

Kiryat Ata:Thousands took to street on Tuesday to protest against the brutality towards Ethiopian Israelis following the death of a teenager in Haifa suburb.

Led by activists from the Ethiopian minority, the protesters demonstrated against systematic discrimination by police toward the community after an off-duty officer shot and killed an 18-year-old Ethiopian Israeli Solomon Teka on Sunday.

The demonstration turned violent, paralysing the country's normal life as protesters blocked highways across the country, including a major thoroughfare through central Tel Aviv and the main highway into Jerusalem. They also burned tires and held signs calling for justice.

A clash erupted between the protesters and police in which a car was set on fire by the protesters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement expressed sympathy for the Ethiopian community and acknowledged that "there are problems that need to be solved," but he warned the demonstrators that the authorities "will not tolerate the blocking of roads."