Police forbid anti-war protest, citing expected speeches ‘weakening security forces’

Police have blocked a planned rally in the north demanding an end to the war, for reasons that include expected speeches featuring “incitement” and “weakening the security forces.”

According to Haaretz, the far-left Communist Party of Israel (Maki) filed a request to hold a three-kilometer march in the Arab city of Sakhnin, urging an end to the war and a stronger fight against violent crime in the Arab community.

However, police refused to authorize the demonstration since Israel is in a state of war, since the road where it was set to take place is used by emergency army vehicles and is close to “sensitive security sites,” since intelligence indicated more than the requested 1,000 people were set to attend, and since no municipal approval was presented.

In addition, the police letter stated that “police have material indicating expected speeches of an inciting nature that weakens the security forces.”

It warned the organizers that they would be criminally liable if the protest ended up going ahead.