Protests against judicial reform reached a new high on Wednesday and dragged into the night. The signal for the demonstrations that spread throughout the country was given by the resignation announcement of Commissioner Ami Eshed, who in his farewell speech claimed that his removal by the minister of national security was political.
Police evacuate protesters from Ayalon
Only at around 1:00 A.M. on Thursday did the police manage to evacuate all the protesters who were on Ayalon. In Tel Aviv, 16 demonstrators have been arrested since the beginning of the day, and in Jerusalem a total of 8 demonstrators have been arrested. Labor Party Chairman MK Merav Michaeli also clashed with police officers who she claimed attacked demonstrators in Ayalon.
Karkur junction blocked by demonstrations
Clashes between demonstrators and police also reached a new peak when one protester attacked two policemen by headbutting them and was arrested. Just after midnight, protesters laid bricks on the road in never-before-seen scenes of chaos and near-loss of control.
Protesters lay bricks on the road,
Bonfires in Ayalon,
Fire extinguished in Ayalon,
Demonstrators block the roads, photo: Itay Or
As noted, the signal for the rise in tension and the mass exodus to the streets was given by Tel Aviv District Commander Lt. Gen. Ami Eshed, who issued a press release, in which he said: "On March 9 of this year, while the Tel Aviv district was dealing with thousands of demonstrations throughout the city, I was removed from my position on political grounds in a phone call."
Eshed added, "In recent days, my political impeachment has received procedural validity under the guise of an unnecessary round of appointments. Thirty-three years of service in uniform, in the most demanding of positions in the Israel Police, when I was on the finish line in my bid for the position of police commissioner, went down the drain in one fell swoop. And all this for the simple reason: that I insisted that my police officers act lawfully."
Commissioner Ami Eshed retired from the police: "I was ousted on political grounds" // Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon
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