Intensifying the protests: The leaders of the protest against the legal reform announced today (Tuesday) that they will intensify measures against the "dictatorship laws" and daily resistance activities and a demonstration at Ben Gurion Airport this coming Monday.
Prof. Shikma Bressler, one of the leaders of the protest, said, "These are critical days for the founding vision of the State of Israel, for the values of the Declaration of Independence of justice, freedom and equality. What began two weeks ago as a salami is turning out to be a crazy and cruel legislative blitz that will turn Israel into a de facto dictatorship in the coming weeks."
"This coming Monday, a day of dictatorial votes in the Knesset on the Offenders Law, the Kaplan Power Group will hold a legal and democratic demonstration at Ben Gurion Airport," Bressler added. "It will be a nonviolent protest that will make it clear to Netanyahu and to the group of extremists who have taken over the country that the struggle movement will not let them destroy Israel. The large demonstration at Ben Gurion Airport will be one of a series of resistance actions that will be taken during the week, details of which will be provided just before the start."
Week 25: Tens of thousands demonstrate against legal reform across Israel | Benny Meshi, Avishai Reisner, Haifa People's Protest, Dror Gilboa, Omri Rosenberg
Director General of the Protest Headquarters, Eran Schwartz, announced: "The vast majority of Israeli citizens from all corners of the country and from all population groups understand that we must look straight and see reality as it is. We must learn from the historical lessons of Hungary and Poland. In the 21st century, dictatorships arise through gradual legislation that empties the moral heart, the moral heart, of government institutions. We will not allow this to happen in Israel."
Social activist and one of the leaders of the women's struggle, Moran Zar Katzenstein, said: "I call from here to women all over the country, we are high-tech and doctors, mothers and businesswomen, managers and independents, women who are so despicable in the eyes of the coalition stars Maoz and Rotman, who think that women should not enlist in the IDF and that their main contribution is raising children. Civic women - these are the people who are in the Knesset today and decide which laws are reasonable and which are not. We all need to unite because we are the first to be hurt. We have to fight for our freedom."
Burning tires, tear gas and 6 detainees. The demonstration in front of the home of the Minister of Justice in Modi'in, photo: Jonathan Shaul
Moshe Redman, one of the protest leaders and a social activist, said: "This is the moment you have been waiting for, the hundreds of thousands with the Israeli flag at the ready to enter their homes and the values of the Declaration of Independence engraved in their hearts. It's time to resist. We were educated on the basis of the history of our people. At least once a year, we all ask ourselves what we would do if we lived at a time when a dark regime threatens to take over. This is the moment, it is now, it is not soon, it is not in the future, this is the moment we have been preparing for 25 weeks, this is the time to resist, this is the most important war in Israel's wars, the war for the soul of Israel, for the Israeli vision, a face-to-face battle of Zionist values against the values of extremism."
Brothers in Arms protest
Earlier today, Brothers in Arms reservists held a demonstration in front of the home of Justice Minister Yariv Levin against the legislative measures being advanced as part of the legal reform. The reservists, about 1,000 according to the protest organization, came with a display of "The dictatorship sausage from Levin Deli" and signs saying "Bitter Opponent of Israel." They erected missile fences and burned tires.
Burning tires: Brothers in arms protest outside Levin's home | Jonathan Shaul
Six were arrested during the demonstration after police used pepper gas to disperse them. Footage from the scene shows demonstrators clashing with the police, some of whom blocked a police car.
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