Thousands of people protested in Tel Aviv on Saturday night in a first major rally against the new government and its far-right policy plans, with two marches taking place in the city.
The first march was organized by Standing Together, a grassroots group promoting Jewish and Arab equality and partnership, and the other march focused more specifically on the threat to the country’s justice system. Organizers estimate that 20,000 people participated in the demonstration.
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Both groups gathered at the city’s Habima Square before setting out on separate marches. The Standing Together group — headed by Hadash lawmakers Ayman Odeh, Ofer Cassif, Labor MK Naama Lazimi, and former Meretz MK Mossi Raz — marched toward the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. During the rally, speakers criticized the government’s plans for a major overhaul of the justice system, which they say pose a threat to democracy.
Avi Himi, head of the Bar Association, said: “We will not allow you to turn us into a dictatorship.”
