Florida Officer's Clash With Pro-Palestine Protester Caught on Camera Sparks Internal Probe

A Florida officer's clash with a pro-Palestine demonstrator that was caught on video has sparked an internal probe by the Orlando Police Department.

The incident reportedly took place after a pro-Palestine rally held at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando on Saturday afternoon.

Authorities say around 20 people had organized a peaceful walk and demonstration in the area that was supervised by downtown Parramore bike officers.

A short time later, officers responded to a disturbance near a Publix grocery store where some of the pro-Palestine demonstrators were allegedly "arguing with someone who had an opposing view."

"When officers attempted to separate the two parties, a member of the pro-Palestine demonstration group lunged toward an OPD officer and the opposing citizen in a physically threatening manner. Consequently, the OPD officer arrested the demonstrator for disorderly conduct," said Orlando Police.

On Sunday, the police department released the arresting officer's bodycam footage "in an effort to be transparent."

The footage shows an Orlando police officer appearing to push a protester to the ground as she walked close to him and another demonstrator.

The protester, who identified herself to FOX35 News as Lamia Moukaddam, shared her side of the incident and stated that the footage proved she was shoved to the ground.

"I pulled out my phone just to be able to record this. And as I'm going to try to record, one of the sergeants on the bikes, as you can see, puts his arm out and shoves me so hard that I fly multiple feet," she said.

Meanwhile, the OPD believes the bodycam video "shows the level of agitation of the demonstrators and their willingness to physically attack officers while in the process of making arrests and keeping the peace."

Eight people were arrested at the scene on various charges.

Tags

Demonstrators, Florida, Assault