Some 80,000 people demonstrate for another week against the Netanyahu government

14 Jan. (EUROPA PRESS) –

Some 80,000 people, according to police estimates, have demonstrated for another week this Saturday against the policy of the new ultra-conservative Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv’s Habima Square and in particular its controversial judicial reform.

The conveners have summoned the population in several cities of the country such as Jerusalem or Haifa, while in Tel Aviv itself the Police have begun to prevent the passage of those who want to join to avoid excessive crowding, reports the Israeli press. Among those attending the Tel Aviv demonstration is former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, reports the Israeli daily ‘Maariv’.

The Black Flags movement, the convener of the protests, issued a statement this Saturday in which it promised to continue fighting against “Netanyahu’s coup.”

“The Jewish people will not surrender their freedom to the tyranny of bibism. The dangerous actions of Netanyahu carried out by the Minister of Justice, Yariv Levin, are endangering the Zionist project,” he warned.

Thus, it has summoned the Police to “act forcefully against the provocateurs that the fascists will send” and to “guarantee a democratic protest, because we are also fighting for you and your families.”

The leader of the Labor Party, Merav Michaeli, has also urged the Police to allow the peaceful expression of the protesters and has stressed that it is “a fight for truth and values, a fight for rights and freedom”.

The Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, has urged the Police to arrest protesters who block the road or cause disturbances and has advocated the use of water cannons. “If you use water cannons in Jerusalem (against haredi protesters), you can also do the same in Tel Aviv,” he argued on Monday.