Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated in hundreds of locations across Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend, pressing ahead with their campaign against the Israeli leader after the government banned large, centralized demonstrations as part of a new coronavirus lockdown.
The new law bans Israelis from holding demonstrations more than 1 kilometer (about half a mile) from their homes and forces stricter social distancing, a measure the government said was aimed at curbing COVID-19 infections. Critics have called it a blow to freedom of speech.
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Most protests on Saturday night were small and scattered throughout the country, though a crowd of thousands gathered in Tel Aviv. A small number of protesters scuffled with police and tried to block city streets.
Overall, 38 people were arrested, a police spokesman said.
Israeli media reported attacks on protesters in several locations, including an alleged assault that left a 57-year old woman with a bloody face in Tel Aviv.
The protesters have been gathering outside Netanyahu's official residence in Jerusalem each week for over three months, demanding his resignation. While Netanyahu has said the restrictions are driven by safety concerns, the protesters accuse him of tightening the lockdown to muzzle their movement.
In line with the new rules, organizers said that over 1,000 protests were held across the country. In one of the largest rallies, hundreds of people gathered in Tel Aviv's central Habima Square, blowing on horns, pounding drums and chanting anti-government slogans. "Dictatorship, sponsored by corona," said one poster. Meanwhile, about 200 people gathered outside Netanyahu's Jerusalem residence.
The protesters say Netanyahu should not serve as prime minister when he is on trial on corruption charges and accuse him of bungling the country's coronavirus crisis, which has ravaged the economy. Many of the protesters are young Israelis who have lost their jobs.
Israel now reports over 7,000 infections a day and the nation of 9 million people has more than 250,000 confirmed cases and over 1,600 deaths. Israel's outbreak is among the worst in the world on a per capita basis.
Israel garnered praise last spring when it moved quickly to seal its borders, closed many businesses and imposed strict stay-at-home orders. But in May, authorities abruptly reopened the economy and lifted nearly all restrictions. Case numbers have soared since then.
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