Tayibe citizens protest lockdown, mayor claims it could increase violence

Several students came to the protest, saying they want to start the school year, and that they are sick of staying at home and want to attend school once again.

By OMRI RON
The Arab city of Tayibe in central Israel (photo credit: WIKIPEDIA)
The Arab city of Tayibe in central Israel
(photo credit: WIKIPEDIA)
Citizens of the city of Tayibe demonstrated on Friday against the coronavirus lockdown once again placed on their city following a spike in infections, Ynet reported.
Roughly 200 people went out to protest the decision after it was declared to be a "red" city over the high infection rate, with 544 new patients found over the last 30 days – 1.2% of the city's approximately 44,000 residents.
Several students arrived at this protest saying that they want to start the school year and that they are sick of staying at home.
"We don't want to stay home; we won't be ruined," they shouted during the protest. "I won't stay home anymore. I've waited for them to reopen school because I'm tired of not learning."
"The message is clear: We're fighting against the coronavirus and require people who live here to follow the rules," Mayor Sha'a Mansour Massarwa said. "We're in favor of a partial lockdown, from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m."
The mayor also warned that the damage to the economy and education may increase the amount of violence present in the city.  
Tayibe is an Arab city located in central Israel and has been ordered by the government to go back into lockdown starting Monday.
The municipality said that the city should at most "be classified as a yellow city" under the Health Ministry's traffic light program used to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
 
"Even if we were a green city, I would agree to close the city down in the evening to prevent weddings, but schools should not be closed, it is ruinous," Massarwa said in an Army Radio interview.