Protester urges crowd ‘no to violence’

The crowd at Rabin Square thins out, and protesters begin to leave the area.

A protester named Gideon, who does not want to give his last name, tells a crowd: “No to violence. We’ve been on the receiving end of violence. The hardest hits, we’ve been dealt. So just say no to violence now.”

“I should be able to walk around where I want, when I want,” he adds. Demonstrators nod emphatically.

A former IDF soldier, who served in the Golani Brigade during Operation Cast Lead, says: “I almost lost my life for the country, and this is how they treat us. This is how I feel, at least.”

“We are suffering from the police, just because the color of our skin. We say no to racism, we say no to police brutality, we’ve had it up to here.”

“Neither the president, nor the prime minister has met with us,” he adds. “The meeting tomorrow will be a good start.”

— Judah Ari Gross contributed