34 arrested amid mass anti-government protests in Jerusalem
Some protesters demanded Netanyahu's resignation.
By TOBIAS SIEGALIsraeli police officers scuffle with demonstrators during a protest against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside Prime Minister official residence in Jerusalem on July 14, 2020(photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
Thirty-four people, among the thousands who were protesting in Jerusalem on Tuesday night, were arrested due to alleged disruption of public order and assaulting police officers.Thousands of protesters gathered in front of the Prime Minister’s Official Residence in Jerusalem on Tuesday evening to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government’s dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.Two different protests took place on Balfour street. One group demanded the resignation of Netanyahu over charges of breach of trust, accepting bribes and fraud. The other one, organized by restaurant owners, rallied against the government’s recent attempts to limit activities in restaurants in an attempt to combat the spread of the coronavirus.Restaurant owners demanded that the government devise a plan for properly compensating the businesses that suffered economic losses during the coronavirus pandemic.In an act of criticizing the government’s handling of the crisis, restaurant owners prepared various dishes to hand out “to any hungry person who will come.” The gesture was meant to “emphasize the importance of maintaining solidarity and being empathetic to others even in hard times like this, just as [they] would expect to be treated by the government,” they said. The “battered industry has not been getting clear answers since the crisis began,” they added.Some 61 residents from the Rehavia neighborhood, where the Prime Minister’s Official Residence resides, had petitioned the High Court of Justice in a request to prevent the protests which have become a norm in recent weeks.“Children, elders and adults from all sectors and genders have found themselves in the position of hostages, in a protest that has become in part violent, unrestricted and completely ignoring the coronavirus pandemic,” the petition read.Police approved the protests despite the coronavirus restrictions, announcing that the adjacent streets and intersections will be blocked until protests end. These included Azza Road and the Paris Square, as well as the streets of Ben Tzvi, Ramban, King George, Keren Hayesod, Rupin and Kaplan.Protesters later continued to march all the way to the Knesset.Naked woman on top of a menorah statue during Jerusalem protests , July 21, 2020 (IM TIRTZU)
While the protest remained relatively peaceful throughout the evening, several protests used the opportunity to publically disrespect one of Israel's most notable symbols - the menorah, a statue of which is located outside the Knesset. Raising red Antifa flags, one protester went as far as climbing the statue while exposing her chest.
