Five people were arrested at the Kfar HaYarok interchange north of Tel Aviv for disrupting public order.
By World Israel News Staff
Anti-government protesters began a series of protest events throughout Israel on Sunday morning, marking nine months after the October 7th terror onslaught.
The demonstrators are demanding a hostage deal and immediate elections.
The large-scale nature of the protest, scattered across multiple sites in the country and targeting the homes of lawmakers, is reminiscent of the mass anti-judicial reform protests in early 2023.
Protesters blocked major freeways and thoroughfares throughout Israel, including Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, while snarling traffic across the country.
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At least five people were arrested at the Kfar HaYarok interchange north of Tel Aviv for disrupting public order, while another 12 were reportedly ticketed for obstructing the flow of traffic and other similar offenses.
While blocking the light rail in Jerusalem, some protesters scuffled with police who attempted to move them out of the train’s path.
“Israel has been abandoned for 275 days [since October 7],” read a statement from Brothers in Arms, an anti-government protest group which was heavily involved in the earlier anti-judicial reform demonstrations.
“We will carry on determined demonstrations until the abandonment government wakes up, takes responsibility, and sets a date for elections.”
Protesters gathered in front of the home of Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar David in Kiryat Ono, demanding that he shut down the economy to force elections and a hostage deal.
Five people were arrested at the Kfar HaYarok interchange north of Tel Aviv for disrupting public order.
While the demonstrators have claimed they are acting in solidarity with the hostages, the families of some of the captives have expressed their displeasure with the politicization of the movement.
Iris Haim, whose son Yotam was kidnapped and then mistakenly killed by the IDF in Gaza, has said she is opposed to protest movements which piggyback on the cause of the hostages and bereaved families.
Ayelet Samerano, the mother of slain hostage Yonatan whose body is still held by Hamas, expressed that she is “horrified” by anti-police violence and chaos at politicized rallies, which say they are part of the movement to the free the hostages.
“I’m not telling people not to protest because I’m ‘right-wing’, I’m telling them to take a breath and consider whether it’s appropriate to hold divisive demonstrations while Israel is at war,” she said.
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