Thousands of people are protesting in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square as part of the latest “black flag” demonstration against an alleged erosion of Israeli democracy under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership.
The protesters are adhering to social distancing regulations aimed at stemming the coronavirus outbreak, as per Health Ministry guidelines. Israel’s main news channels aired footage from the protest.
The protesters oppose having Netanyahu as prime minister as long as he is a criminal suspect. The protesters say the unity government agreement, which gives Netanyahu influence over the appointment of judges and legal officials, “crushes democracy” and is meant to rescue Netanyahu from his legal troubles.
Netanyahu is scheduled to face trial next month on charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes. He denies the charges.
The “black flag” movement’s name comes from demonstrators pinning black flags to their vehicles and homes to symbolize what they believe is a danger to Israel’s democracy posed by Netanyahu’s continued rule.
Thousands attend a ‘black flag’ protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday, April 25, 2020. (Black Flag Movement)
— AP contributed to this report.
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