Protests over the government's handling of the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis, as well as against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally, continued Thursday evening, with some 4,000 gathering outside the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem. However, for the first time since the current wave of protests began, a sizable counter-protest demonstrating support for the prime minister was staged right alongside them.
The anti-government protesters held up placards featuring slogans such as "Stop the Virus of Dictatorship," "Let My People Go" and "Police Violence Kills."
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Shortly after midnight, some of the protesters began to riot. The police arrested 55 participants and used high-powered spray hoses to break up the event.
A police statement addressing the arrests stated: "During the protests, the police were working to protect the health of the participants, and distributed masks. In other cases, enforcement measures were employed against anyone not wearing a mask. Even though the protest was legitimate and most participants dispersed on their own initiative, one group refused to leave even after the police announced several times that the protest was over, and asked them to leave quietly.
"Therefore, the police were eventually forced to take action to break it up and restore public order. While doing so, the police arrested 55 people suspected of disturbing the public peace, assaulting police officers, and assaulting other protesters," the police statement read.
Prior to the start of the demonstration, participants held a concert and sessions of group meditation and guided imagery, during which protesters were asked to close their eyes and imagine Netanyahu announcing his resignation.
One woman stood on an improvised stage and shouted, "We will protect our country! Don't turn us against each other. We won't give up until Bibi resigns."
Another woman claimed that she had received a phone call from the office of Public Security Minister Amir Ohana and had been invited to meet with him on Sunday as a representative of the protesters. She replied that the protest was a popular movement and had no official representatives.
Some of the protesters called Ohana's appointment "unacceptable." Other young participants, who were bused in from around the country, were carrying large red flags.
Meretz MK Yair Golan took part in the protest, saying: "This week, I was encouraged to see the crowds of young people coming to demonstrate outside the Knesset. That's the story. This is the day true change began in Israel. The day when young Israelis take to the streets and say, 'We aren't willing to live under a regime like this.' This is where the change begins.
"We're against the corrupt man from Balfour street [where the Prime Minister's Residence is located]. The Israeli Left is a non-violent Left. It is the Right, and only the Right, that brought violence into politics. The Left is the true national camp," Golan said.
While this event was taking place, a group of several hundred supporters of the prime minister took up positions across from them. Many waved Israeli flags.
Likud MK Ariel Kelner said, "Here we have one demonstration by responsible citizens, who show up to strengthen the prime minister in an emergency, during an epidemic. On the other side, there are people here who are trying to hitch a ride on real distress. There are anarchists and members of the radical Left over there, who are trying to delegitimize the prime minister and what's worse, are attacking the symbols of the state. They only care about one thing – destroying everything."
Given the rising tensions, the police held a situation assessment before the protest about ways of avoiding clashes and losing control. Barriers were erected in front of the Prime Minister's Residence to separate the anti-government and pro-government demonstrators.
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