Saturday night in Jerusalem means thousands of Israelis are marching again from the entrance of the city to the Prime Minister’s residence at Balfour St in protest against the government. New for this week: Israelis abroad are demonstrating simultaneously in 18 cities worldwide.
“Justice for Solomon [Teka], Justice for Eyad [al-Hallaq]” (Ethiopian and Palestinian victims of police violence respectively) has been the call of the leftist bloc at these protests since the beginning; it’s now become one of the central chants of this protest movement
Another issue that has been absorbed into this amorphous protest movement is that of rape culture and violence against women, following a shocking rape in Eilat recently. “Which part of no didn’t you understand yet? No is no is no is no is no”
And we’re off, with a rendition of “Bibi Ciao”
“Democracy For All”
“There is a right-winger who doesn’t choose Bibi”
Police already struggling to prevent the march from deviating from the path they prefer
A large model submarine emblazoned with the word “liar”, in reference to the as yet not fully investigated “submarine affair” which could implicate Bibi in further corruption
“Revolution”
“We are the hope”
“Bibism = fascism”
Jerusalem’s central Jaffa Street is completely flooded with protestors marching to Bibi’s residence
The light rail has no chance
But a police car forces its way through the crowd
The march has paused at Zion Square in the city centre, and protestors are now sitting and blocking Jaffa Street entirely
“Right-wingers are [our] brothers”
“There’s no difference between one and the other, because we’re all humans”
Balfour might be the destination, but this march isn’t heading there any time soon. Continuing through the city centre, now alongside the Old City
Jaffa Gate in the background
Police have temporarily blocked off the road to traffic as the march finally turns towards Balfour
The march has arrived at Paris Square, where the protests have been taking place each week, but many of these protestors are opting not to enter the square tonight and to remain on the streets outside it in order to make it harder for the police to contain and disperse
The number inside the square is again likely in the tens of thousands, and includes MK Ofer Cassif who just addressed the Hadash bloc
Tonight the Breslov Chasidim have joined the protests, after the government’s decision to prevent this year’s pilgrimage to the grave of Rebbe Nachman in Uman, Ukraine. This sign reads “Netanyahu is against Rebbe Nachman”
Paris Square falls completely silent
No police intrusion yet - by this time last week the protest had been dispersed
A few announcements over the loudspeaker from the police chief but no attempt yet to disperse the several hundred still present in the square
Strangely it seems that the roads have been opened to traffic before the police have dispersed the protestors from the square
Protest and traffic coexisting for the moment
And now the arrests have begun
Another arrest
Police have cleared the roads and pushed the protestors to the pavements around the square. New tactic.
Remaining protesters are now being ushered down one of the streets leading out of the square. That’s it for another week
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