Violent clashes broke out downtown Calgary during a Palestinian rally over conflicts in the Middle East, sparking a chaotic scene that left spectators fearing for their safety.

Without any visible police presence in front of City Hall, there were two skirmishes between Palestinian and Israeli supporters as victims reported being trampled, kicked and punched.

Police later arrived en masse, shutting down part of Macleod Trail to contain the area while demonstrators cried, screamed and tended to injuries.

Hundreds of Palestinian supporters had marched on City Hall for a planned demonstration over long-standing conflicts with Israel. The clashes began when a few Israeli supporters stood at the edge of the growing Palestinian crowd holding Israeli flags.

Each side lobbed accusations at the other over violence in Gaza and Israel, sparking a tense standoff that escalated when a Palestinian supporter grabbed the Israeli flag.

In the violent confrontation that followed, Jeff Willerton, the pro-Israeli who had been holding the flag, was punched several times and knocked down. The area swelled with demonstrators from either side as some tried to break up the conflict and others fuelled it.

Minutes later, another brawl broke out across the street as supporters of either side screamed at one another, pointing fingers and spitting in faces.

Samantha Hamilton, an Israeli supporter who had been confrontational with Palestinian demonstrators, said six or seven men swarmed on her brother during the clash before they came after her and her cousin.

“And the next thing I know, I was trying to swing to get in, they punched me in the eye, pulled my hair down and put me on the ground, started kicking and running overtop of me,” Hamilton said.

Aislan Ali, a Palestinian supporter who had observed both clashes, said the pro-Israel side had provoked the violence, saying they shouldn’t have showed up during the demonstration.

“The (Palestinian) people, their families are dying back home, so whenever they see these people coming here, provoking us to fight, then a fight starts,” Ali said.

Dozens of police converged in front of City Hall to restore order, although the scene remained chaotic.

Jake Birrell, who wore an Israeli flag around his neck, said he was attacked during the second clash. He confronted an officer asking why police hadn’t intervened.

“When you’re wearing that, what do you expect is going to happen here?” the officer asked him.

“What do you expect is going to happen when you walk through this group?”

After police arrived, tensions eased, although the rally was loud and emotional, chanting slogans like “Free, free Palestine.” As time passed, the crowd dissipated.

Insp. Cliff O’Brien said there were uniformed police officers “in the area” throughout the demonstration.

He said the first priority for police was restoring order and making sure everyone was safe. An investigation is ongoing into the demonstrations and the violent altercations.

“Obviously, it’s impossible for us to anticipate that there would be some serious altercation with crowds when generally we see peaceful protests,” O’Brien said.

rsouthwick@calgaryherald.com