Hundreds of protesters turned up for protests against judicial reforms in Israel, as well as the current right-wing government coalition. Demonstrations have largely been organized by Israelis living abroad, and have popped up in cities such as New York, Sydney, Madrid, and Amsterdam amongst others, Israeli media reported.
Ynet reported that at a protest held in Paris, demonstrators tried to interrupt a speech given by Minister of Aliyah and Absorption Ofir Sofer. Sofer was appearing at a conference encouraging Aliyah for French citizens. Some demonstrators shouted "shame," amongst other comments.
Of those protesting overseas, some were Israelis who have been spending their years living outside of Israel. Others were led to opportunities abroad that caused them to leave Israel. "I am in favor of equal rights and in favor of democracy. It is also important to convey a message to the children that one should fight for what is important. We also demonstrated in Jerusalem at the time. The move to London is due to work and completely accidental," one resident told Ynet.
Protests across the world have two words frequenting signs and chants; "shame" and "democracy" appeared repetitively.
Pro-democracy Protest In London pic.twitter.com/61aCAINeuP
— Shahak Gersten ️ (@GerstenShahak) March 12, 2023
The Handmaidens have crossed Israel's borders
As part of the reenactment of The Handmaid's Tale, women from all over Israel marched in red robes and white hats in demonstrations against the judicial reforms planned by the government and in protest of the potential violation of women's rights.
Now, now this same demonstration has found its way to London and Paris alike.
The performance is intended to warn against the transformation of Israel from an egalitarian democracy into a theocracy that separates women and dismisses their rights, similar to the dystopian world of The Handmaid's Tale, a novel by author Margaret Atwood that recently was successfully adapted for television.
The performance was presented for the first time by the "Building an Alternative" organization at a demonstration in Jerusalem, then quickly gained momentum throughout the country and received extensive coverage in the Israeli and international media, including CNN, Fox News and The Washington Post, and was also tweeted by Atwood herself and won a sketch in popular Israeli satire show Eretz Nehederet (Wonderful Land).