Authorities said some 5,000 people joined the protest, while Channel 13 reported up to 15,000 participants in the Saturday night rally taking place in Jerusalem for the fifth consecutive week.
Brandishing placards with slogans like “Your time is up” and “Crime Minister,” protesters demanded Netanyahu resign over corruption charges and alleged mishandling of the coronavirus crisis.
Wow. Outside Netanyahu’s residence tonight.
🎥: @talschneider pic.twitter.com/9nhRICxpLI
— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) August 8, 2020
The protest ended without major incidents, amid a heavy police presence deployed to prevent any unrest, as well as to ensure the demonstrators “follow the Health Ministry’s instructions,” according to Sputnik.
In the meantime, Netanyahu once again blasted Israeli media, and Channel 13 in particular, for ‘one-sided’ coverage of protests. The journalists completely neglect the violence on the part of the demonstrators, he argued, as well as daily “death threats” against his family – all while he is “fighting to restore the economy and provide financial aid to Israeli citizens.”
הליכוד:
בזמן שראש הממשלה נתניהו נלחם כדי להחזיר את כלכלת ישראל לשגרה ולהעביר כספים ומענקים לאזרחי ישראל, ערוץ 12 עושה הכל כדי לעודד את הפגנות השמאל הקיצוני של לפיד ואיימן עודה, שמסיתות לרצח נגד ראש הממשלה ומשפחתו. pic.twitter.com/6bsOvfKbdg
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) August 8, 2020
Netanyahu was charged with bribery, fraud and breach of public trust in several cases last November. Public anger is also being fueled by a strict coronavirus lockdown, which caused an unemployment surge in the country – while the abrupt lifting of restrictions in May led to a spike in Covid-19 cases. Many people were also left without the financial aid promised by the PM.
Header: Thousands protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside his official residence in Jerusalem on August 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Source: RT