Thousands of Israelis protested outside the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Saturday night, pressing ahead with a months-long campaign demanding the embattled Israeli leader resign.
Although the demonstrations have largely been peaceful in recent weeks, protesters scuffled with police in several locations. Twelve people were arrested during the demonstration over rioting and assaulting police officers. Police also said two officers were lightly injured when a crowd burst through a police blockade.
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Organizers said some 8,000 people gathered outside the Prime Minister's Residence in the capital and another 1,000 protested outside his private home in the affluent northern city of Caesarea.
The protest came as Israel is coping with record levels of coronavirus infections. Demonstrators have been protesting Netanyahu's handling of the coronavirus crisis, which has led to soaring unemployment, and they say he should step down while on trial for corruption charges.
Protesters held banners reading "Revolution"and "Get out of here" and held blue and white Israeli flags. A sign aimed at the prime minister was projected on a building reading in Hebrew: "Enough with you."
Smaller crowds gathered on bridges and intersections across the country also calling for Netanyahu to step down.
The government moved quickly to contain the outbreak last spring, but bungled the reopening of the economy and now finds itself dealing with a stronger outbreak. The death toll has surpassed 1,000 people, and the country is considering a new lockdown to stop the rapid spike in daily infections. Israel currently has over 26,000 active COVID-19 patients.
Netanyahu has dismissed the protesters as "leftists" and "anarchists." But his tough talk, and even a series of foreign policy accomplishments, have done nothing to deter the crowds.
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