Thousands of people gathered on Rabin Square in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest the Israeli government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath. The Israeli police did not give an estimate on the number of demonstrators but the public television channel Kan 11 affirmed that thousands of people were present on the place, traditional place of gathering.
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Some 300 police were deployed to protect the protesters, maintain public order and supervise the observation of social distancing measures, the police said. Most of the demonstrators wore masks without standing two meters from each other, said an AFP journalist.
Some people held up signs that said “Let us breathe” in Hebrew. An echo of "I can't breathe", used in protests against police violence around the world since the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black American, who died on May 25 when a white police officer supported his knee on his neck for almost nine minutes.
Many unemployed young people
The demonstration was organized by groups of self-employed workers, small businesses but also artists, feeling abandoned by the government after the forced closure of their business and public places during the pandemic. Student unions also participated in the rally to express their concerns in a context where many young people are now unemployed.
Israel had imposed strict confinement in mid-March. Only professionals in trades deemed essential were allowed to work and any public gathering was prohibited. The government lifted some restrictions at the end of May. However, the number of contaminations started to rise again, leading to the reestablishment of restrictions such as the closing of bars, nightclubs, sports halls and public swimming pools.
