Massive Protest in Tel Aviv Demands Netanyahu’s Resignation
Thousands of protesters gathered in the evening on Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv, which was closed off by police with iron barriers, in a symbolic demonstration against the Netanyahu government’s judicial regulations.
Activists took to the stage set up on Kaplan Street to criticize the government, while protesters brandished banners, posters, and chants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and his administration. Slogans like “Overthrow Netanyahu” and “Elections now” echoed through the streets as the protesters marched towards the square under the banner “You are not our government.”
One protester, named Yael, expressed her strong desire for Netanyahu to resign, stating, “I want him out of my life. I think he is destroying Israel, he has been destroying Israel for a long time.”
As tensions rose, demonstrators kicked at the barriers set up by Israeli police, who responded with force and detained numerous protesters. The anti-Netanyahu sentiment in Israel continues to gain traction, with calls for early elections growing louder in recent weeks.
Protesters continued their march and sparked a large fire in front of the Ministry of Defense, prompting police intervention to extinguish the flames. Despite the efforts, the fire persisted, forcing officers to use their shoes to put it out.
The protesters then blocked northbound traffic on the Ayalon Highway in central Tel Aviv, leading to a brief closure before the mounted police intervened and reopened the road. In a separate demonstration near the Ministry of Defense, relatives of Israeli prisoners in Gaza protested for their release.
At the protest, German Ambassador to Tel Aviv Steffen Seibert and French Ambassador to Tel Aviv Frederic Journes joined the call for the government to release the prisoners promptly. Former Prime Minister and main opposition leader Yair Lapid pledged support for any agreement that would bring the captives home, emphasizing, “There will be no victory without their return.”
