10 arrested during social protest in Tel Aviv
Some 200 activists protest 'social injustice, government infringement of democracy'; protesters clash with police, 10 taken into custody
Ten demonstrators were arrested Saturday evening during a protest near Tel Aviv's Azrieli mall. Some 200 activists marched along Begin Road in protest of what they referred to as social injustice and the erosion of democracy by the government.
Large police forces were deployed to the scene and prevented protesters from blocking the road.
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The protest organizers said one of the activists arrested by the police is Yigal Rambam, one of the leaders of the social protest. According to the organizers, Rambam was summoned to the Tel Aviv District Police, where he was warned that he would be arrested if he shows up at the rally.
One of the protest leaders, Oren Pasternak, told Ynet: "We came here to tell the government that started its winter session by canceling all the social legislations and silences our freedom of speech – we will take to the streets every week.
Protesters clashing with police (Photo: Ben Kelmer)
"Those who thought the protest died down were dead wrong. We are protesting today because nothing has changed. Instead of dealing with the real issues, the government is busy passing anti-democratic laws and threatening us with lawsuits if we violate them," he said.
Tel Aviv District Police Spokesperson Sigal Toledo said that the detained protesters "planned to assault police officers and tried to tear through the tin fence and enter a nearby construction site in order to escape the police."
A message posted on the Police's Facebook page said that the protest was held illegally and that "hundreds of demonstrators were clashing with police officers and trying to break through police barriers in order to hold an illegal procession."
Last week, MK Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor) called to renew the social protest, saying: "The only chance for something to change is if people go out and protest on the streets.
"The government is blatantly ignoring the social reality and is only focusing on the security situation," he added.
Eli Senyor contributed to this report
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