Several hundred people protested Thursday evening on Gaza Street outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem against the far-right government.

Demonstrators on Thursday evening protest on Gaza Street outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem (Photo: Crime Minister)

The protestors marched towards Paris Square. Physical confrontations broke out with a dozen of fascists counter protesters. One right-wing activist who carried a sign calling them “traitors”. The demonstrators burned tires and lit torches and also blocked the Jerusalem light rail and two demonstrators were brutally arrested. 

The police have ordered that the demonstration be held 350 meters away from the estate, rather than in front of it, as the Crime Minister organizers had requested. The protest organizers argue that the police order limits their ability to protest effective and demand that they be allowed to demonstrate 150 meters away from Netanyahu’s home where protests are held there in the mornings during the last week.

The “Crime Minister” movement, which organized the demonstration, said: “Despite Ben-Gvir’s attempts to use the police to sabotage the protest, today we made our first visit to Gaza Street, and this is only the beginning. We will continue to fight for our democratic right to protest against those who are destroying democracy. The coup d’état will encounter unprecedented civil resistance “.

During the demonstration National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir reprimanded the Jerusalem district police chief for “losing control over the anarchists” during the anti-government protest in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in the city. Ben-Gvir’s office stated that “Police and Border Police officers were on the scene, but were explicitly ordered not to enforce the law or confront the demonstrators,” even after police officers prevented protesters from entering the city’s Mahane Yehuda market and arrested two activists.

In response to Ben-Gvir’s accusations, Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai said that it is “unfortunate that clarifying the issue was done so publicly,” as police forces still “operate in the field,” rather than through a “professional and operational” investigation conducted after the fact.

Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=30830