Thousands of people on Tuesday demonstrated outside the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, calling on the embattled leader to resign as he faces a trial on corruption charges and grapples with a deepening coronavirus crisis.
Some of the protesters waved lit torches, hurled eggs at policemen and vandalized shops, according to the police. Others tried breaking through police barricades, confronted police officers and threw other objects at them.
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Many held posters, saying "You are detached. We are fed up," or saying there is "no way" a politician under indictment can be prime minister. Demonstrators, defying orders to maintain social distancing requirements, chanted slogans and blew horns outside Netanyahu's home.
After the demonstration ended, protesters marched along King George Street to Jaffa Street in the capital – where they blocked the light rail after midnight. Police used water cannons and officers mounted on horses charged demonstrators to disperse several hundred people at the scene.
Some of the protesters returned to the Prime Minister's Residence. Traffic was blocked in all directions in central Jerusalem. One police officer was wounded and 50 protesters were arrested, the police said in a statement.
Video: Yori Yalon
"We will allow freedom of speech and protest, but will not allow harm to citizens, police, media, and public property," police said.
Protesters also accosted Channel 13 reporter Avishai Ben Haim because he is identified with the right-wing camp.
President Reuven Rivlin said on Twitter: "We cannot in good conscience tolerate such images, this is not our way."
Netanyahu has seen his popularity drop in recent weeks as he comes under criticism from a series of directions. A loose-knit movement has held a number of demonstrations saying that Netanyahu is unfit to lead at a time when he is on trial. Others have taken to the streets to protest a worsening economic crisis caused by the coronavirus.
After receiving widespread praise for quickly sealing Israel's borders in March and imposing other restrictions, Netanyahu acknowledged last week that he reopened the economy too quickly.
On Monday, police dispersed a group of activists who had set up tents outside his official residence in central Jerusalem.
The country is now experiencing a sharp rise in coronavirus cases and the economy is struggling as unemployment remains above 20%. Critics accuse him of leading a bloated, out-of-touch government and moving too slowly to help struggling Israelis.
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Sami, who participated in Tuesday night's protest in the capital, told Israel Hayom: "This is a demonstration of utmost importance in light of the government harassment of the protest camp and in light of an economic situation, with nearly one million people unemployed and a prime minister who hasn't actually taken care of the self-employed either. Aside from that, under no circumstances should a person under criminal indictment be allowed to serve as prime minister."
Netanyahu has promised a "safety net" to help the self-employed, unemployed, and small businesses, and has been holding a series of meetings to ensure that promised stipends are quickly paid out.
