Demonstrations against the Israeli government's planned judicial reforms kicked off again throughout the country on Saturday evening.
This is the 11th weekend in a row of protests across Israel.
In Jerusalem, thousands of people were protesting outside the president's residence, to which then they began marching toward the Prime Minister's house, where a number of demonstrators fought with police trying to break through barriers that were set up.
המפגינים בבית הנשיא בירושלים החלו בצעדה לכיוון בית ראש הממשלה ברחוב עזה, מספר מוחים ניסו לפרוץ מחסום משטרתי ונבלמו על ידי המשטרה. בסוף הסרטון: מפגין שמנסה להרים את המחסום בחזרה למקומו@GLZRadio pic.twitter.com/3sfqPbuzKA
— נועה ברנס Noa Baranes (@noabaranes10) March 18, 2023
In Tel Aviv, protesters gathered in Dizengoff Square and are planning on marching toward Kaplan Street, according to Ynet. Demonstrators chanted: "Israel is not yet Iran."
Numerous roads will be blocked due to the protests in the city, including Kaplan Street to Ibn Gvirol Street to Menachem Begin Street in both directions. Roads will also be closed off around Yigal Alon Street, N12 reported. Ayalon Highway was blocked by police. Two were arrested for attempting to reach the highway via Yigal Alon Street.
One protester on the Ayalon highway was arrested after midnight on Sunday for spray painting the guard rails, according to N12.
"Israel is not yet Iran."
Tel Aviv protesters
Supporters of the judicial reform in Tel Aviv called the protesters "traitorous leftists."
Yaakov Frenkel, journalist Guy Rolnick and Eyal Naveh will be among the speakers, but the event will start with a 13-year-old girl singing Hatikvah after she was not allowed to sing earlier this week at a local event because an ultra-Orthodox speaker demanded that no girl may sing.
מפגיני ימין קראו "שמאלנים בוגדים" למוחים נגד הרפורמה בת"א@OferHalfonKan pic.twitter.com/myIIu51Ni7
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 18, 2023
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid spoke at another protest in Ashdod, while Labor leader Merav Michaeli arrived at a protest in Kfar Saba.
Bedouins protesting against the reforms, thousands in Beersheba
In the Negev, Bedouins are protesting for the first time against the judicial reforms at the Hora intersection near Beersheba, Ynet reported. Signs at their protest read "This is our home," "Equal rights and democracy for all" and "Partnership of Jews and Arabs."
Some 5,000 protesters took to the streets in Beersheba on Saturday evening, according to estimates.
Other protests took place in Ramat HaSharon, and in Rehovot, thousands are protesting at the Science Park. One of the demonstrators is an elderly woman in a wheelchair, and a sign attached to her chair read: "I am 100 years old and I am sad to leave the country like this," according to the report.
In other cities, more than 20,000 are protesting in Netanya and 20,000 more are protesting in Herzliya and Ra'anana combined. In Herzliya, a driver was arrested on suspicion of running over a protester's foot. A medical team arrived at the scene to treat the protester.
Likud activists arrive at the scene
In Or Akiva, about 150 Likud activists in favor of the protests were demonstrating in favor of the reforms against approximately 600 demonstrators who were protesting against them, Ynet reported. There, signs brought by the protesters said "Rightists and leftists refuse to be enemies." A police force was sent to the scene to separate the protestors from the Likud activists.
However, Likud supporters shouted and cursed the demonstrators, and among other things called them "anarchists," and shouted "only Bibi," according to the report. There, three Likud supporters were arrested by police for throwing eggs at protesters. The three were taken to a nearby police station for questioning.
A motorcyclist was arrested in Givatayim on suspicion of attacking and threatening protesters, Hebrew media reported.
In response, Lapid tweeted that "the violent attempts to silence the protesters throughout Israel won't help. As long as we are a democracy, protesting is still a basic right. It won't help them - they won't silence these amazing Israeli patriots. I expect Prime Minister Netanyahu to immediately condemn this violence."
Michaeli tweeted that "Netanyahu's militias took to the streets. Did anyone from the coalition condemn the violence? No one."
Thousands began marching and protesting in Haifa on Saturday from Moriah Boulevard to Horev Junction, Ynet reported. Demonstrators waved pride flags and Israeli flags as well as signs that read "fascism will not pass."
Thousands more began protesting and blocking Highway 65, Maariv reported. A police officer at the scene declared the demonstration illegal.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said: "Protest against me as much as you want. I will fight for your right to protest. But why stick to the windows of the synagogue with loudspeakers, honk, scream and make people violate Shabbat? I'm sure if it was a mosque you would respect the customs of the locals.
"But for religious Jews, it turns out that everything is allowed."
"Protest against me as much as you want. I will fight for your right to protest. But why stick to the windows of the synagogue with loudspeakers, honk, scream and make people violate Shabbat?"
Itamar Ben-Gvir
On Friday, numerous protests were conducted in front of many of the houses belonging to coalition government MKs. It was also reported that demonstrations on Saturday will occur in around 120 locations throughout the country, according to protest organizers.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.