Israeli protest organizations are gearing up for a nationwide day of protest Tuesday as the Reasonableness Standard Bill was expected to pass in Knesset on Monday.
Demonstrations will take place at major traffic centers like Ben-Gurion Airport and Kaplan junction in Tel Aviv.
Josh Drill, a spokesperson for the national protest movement, says that Tuesday’s protests are intended to match the intensity of the government’s “escalation.”
“We don't want all the highways to be blocked. We don't want the Ben-Gurion International Airport to be blocked. We want people to continue working,” Drill said. “However, when the government is pushing forward judicial overhaul for a second time… we have no choice, but civil disobedience.”
Nadav Salzberger, leader of the Student Protest Movement, predicts a different atmosphere than Saturday’s weekly protests, including more road blockages and protesters’ heightened willingness to be arrested.
He also said that more Israelis are becoming willing to protest as time goes on. This week marks the 28th consecutive week of protests, which take place on Saturday evenings throughout the country.
How will Tuesday's protest differ from usual?
Differing from the weekly protests, organizers are “calling for different parts of Israeli society to go on strike” on Tuesday, Salzberger said, adding that universities, hi-tech companies, malls, and more are all encouraged to close.
Tuesday’s demonstrations will also depart from the Saturday protests’ “family-friendly” feel, according to Salzberger. “What we are aiming for is to really bring the country to a halt. To block roads to go to the airport and lock it to march on the roads in different towns all over Israel,” he said.
Salzberger also expressed a sense of urgency associated with the call to action for Tuesday, emphasizing the need to protest as soon as possible after the vote.
“What is more intense? 100,000 protesters in Kaplan Street, hypothetically. Or 2,000 protesters in Ben-Gurion International Airport and the airport is then shut down,” said Drill, emphasizing that the goal on Tuesday is disruption.
Protest leaders call for non-violent demonstration
Both Drill and Salzberger emphasized the need for protesters to remain nonviolent. But last week’s manifestations saw trickles of violence.
“We are seeing a surge in violence against the protesters,” Salzberger said.
He believes this stems from anti-protest rhetoric within the government.
“In my opinion, it comes directly from the incitement of coalition members, comparing us to terrorists comparing us to anarchists, saying that people shouldn't deal with us, by any means necessary,” he said.
When asked how protestors should stay vigilant against potential violence, Salzberger remarked that they should always walk in groups and always be on high alert.
Tuesday marks the second time that protesters will gather at Ben-Gurion Airport. Last Monday night, protesters swarmed the airport, resulting in confrontations with police. 37 protestors were arrested for violating public order.
Tuesday’s day of protest will begin at 7 a.m. at Haifa’s district court and other locations around the country, announced the protest organization KUMI Israel. The airport protest is set to take place at Ben Gurion’s Terminal 3 from 4 p.m.
Later on in the evening, at 6:30 p.m., protesters will gather outside of the President’s Residence in Jerusalem and the branch of the Embassy of the US in Tel Aviv.
Protesters will end the night at 8:30 p.m. at Kaplan junction and other major traffic centers.
Protest organizations are encouraging students and workers to take a day off to demonstrate. "Take free time to fight for freedom," KUMI wrote on Facebook.
In solidarity with the protesters, Reichman University in Herzliya, Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, and the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba announced on Monday that they will not penalize students, faculty, or staff for taking off to protest Tuesday. Ben-Gurion will set up another date for students who miss exams for the protest to make them up.
"If the legislative process continues, the university will respect the freedom of protest and demonstration of the members of the academic and administrative staff," a statement from the university reads, signed by founding president Prof. Uriel Reichman and current president Prof. Rafi Melnik.
Both Drill and Salzberger predict high turnouts tomorrow, but both emphasized that protestors’ actions are inching toward a fever pitch. “Is the number the question here or is the result?” Drill asked. “Tomorrow we're going for the result.”