Dizengoff fountain dyed red to protest government’s response to violent crime in Arab towns

Activists pour red dye inside the fountain at Dizengoff Square, a Tel Aviv landmark, to symbolize the victims of deadly crime in Arab towns and to protest the government’s perceived inaction over the violence.

The protest, organized by the Standing Together social justice group, comes after five family members were gunned down yesterday in the northern Bedouin village of Basmat Tab’un, one of the bloodiest mass shootings in a crime wave that has already claimed 188 lives this year.

“[Itamar] Ben Gvir did not come to Dizengoff Square today — but we did,” the group writes on its Instagram page, referencing the far-right security minister’s planned mass prayer at Dizengoff Square after clashes broke out there on Yom Kippur, which he later canceled under pressure.

“We colored the fountain red to remember the 188 victims since the beginning of the year. It is impossible to remain silent when the blood of the victims from crime in Arab society keeps on being spilled,” the post adds.

“Ben Gvir, asking for forgiveness will not be enough this time,” the activists continue, referencing the Yom Kippur custom of seeking atonement. “This blood was spilled under your watch.”

Images from the protest show a few dozen activists holding placards with photos and names of some of the victims.