Tel Aviv police shut down tent protest by self-employed workers
The protest was put up throughout the weekend by the employees whose businesses collapsed financially because of the coronavirus restrictions.
By TAMAR URIEL-BEERIPolice shut down a Tel Aviv tent protest by self-employed workers about unfair conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic. (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)
A Tel Aviv tent protest by independent and self-employed workers was evacuated by local police, according to Israel's Ynet News on Sunday morning.Dozens of tent residents participating in the protest were told that they must immediately leave, as they were stationed on Rothschild Boulevard and in Wolovsky Park.The protest was put up throughout the weekend by the employees whose businesses collapsed financially because of the coronavirus restrictions.Despite protesters claiming that they were practicing physical distancing and were following all the guidelines of the Health Ministry, the Tel Aviv municipality claimed that one of the larger reasons they decided to evacuate the protest was due to the risk of spreading the novel COVID-19.The municipality announced that they allowed the protest to go on for 48 hours as a sign of urban solidarity, even though it was put up without a permit and was therein illegal.The protest developed into a rally around the country at 11 a.m. on Sunday, during which self-employed workers made their way together to a demonstration in front of the Knesset.Organizers explained that the demonstration was against both the government and the banks, according to N12 News, claiming that approximately 90% of requests for loans from the bank were rejected and that the banks are making it extremely difficult for independent businesses to survive the pandemic."In a scandalous and anti-democratic move, the authorities decided to evacuate the tent protest on Rothschild Boulevard," said one protester, Costa Black, according to Ynet."Freedom of speech and the right to protest are basic rights in democracy and it saddens us that there are those who wish to crush them," he concluded.The municipality has decided to prepare the grounds of Rabin Square for future protests, rallies and demonstrations instead.
"Among other things, the municipality will place special markings with a distance of two meters between each one on the ground in the square to allow for the gathering of protests at this time," the municipality stated.It will also "provide various infrastructures for holding rallies for any group that wishes."On Saturday night, a protest took place in Rabin Square against the coalition deal signed between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz. Tel Aviv police did not stop the demonstration due to concerns over people breaking coronavirus restrictions as they did with the tent protest Sunday morning."A coalition agreement that violates the Basic Laws of the State of Israel is not 'unity,'" said Shikma Schwartzan, one of the demonstration's organizers, N12 reported.
