Defying protest ban, thousands of Israelis demonstrate against Netanyahu

Thousands of Israelis protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, flouting a new law meant to curb anti-government demonstrations during a coronavirus lockdown.

Clashes broke out between protesters and police on horses and motorbikes in several locations across the city. At least 38 protesters were arrested and hundreds of fines were handed out.

Several people were hurt in the clashes, including Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai who was left bleeding from the arm when he was struck by a police officer.
 

Incidents of violence were also reported in other areas of the occupied territorie , including Pardes Hannah, Netanya, Kfar Saba and Kiryat Ono.

The street protests, just three days after the Knesset approved an edict to limit the scope of such demonstrations, kept pressure on Netanyahu over his handling of the coronavirus crisis and over an indictment for corruption, which he denies.

The new law bans Israelis from holding demonstrations more than 1 km from their homes and forces stricter social distancing, a measure the government said was aimed at curbing COVID-19 infections.

Critics have called it a blow to freedom of speech.