[IsraelTimes] National conflict comes to a head as hundreds of thousands demonstrate throughout country against ’reasonableness’ bill; coalition officials vow to pass it within days regardlessHundreds of thousands of protesters demonstrated across the country Saturday evening against the coalition’s controversial judicial overhaul plans, with tens of thousands rallying outside the Knesset in Jerusalem following a mass march from Tel Aviv, as part of a last-ditch effort to prevent the passage of a bill that would curtail judicial oversight of government decisions.
The mass demonstrations came as over 10,000 reservists including pilots and others in top military units announced they were halting their service, amid threats of strikes by various professional groups, growing calls for civil disobedience and with the country’s largest labor union meeting to decide on a course of action.
The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared undeterred, however, with multiple anonymous coalition officials telling Hebrew media that they would not capitulate and were determined to pass the legislation. Kan news said Netanyahu has commented behind the scenes that "either we reach a compromise by tomorrow or the bill will pass."
In addition to the landmark march in Jerusalem, believed to draw some 90,000 on its final leg, some 170,000 demonstrators converged on Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street for the main weekly rally for the 29th week in a row, according to estimations by the CrowdSolutions firm cited by Channel 13 news.
Tens of thousands more demonstrated at some 150 other cities, towns and intersections across the country. Opponents of the legislation rallied outside Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem.
After seven straight months of the most sustained and intense demonstrations the country has ever seen, the grassroots protest movement
...that’s “grassroots” with scare quotes, of course, as the Black Bloc/Antifa cadres have US State Dept. and other outside funding and coaching. Some are named in the lengthy verbiage at the link...
has reached a fever pitch.Organizers claimed some 500,000 people took part in rallies overall, though this figure could not be independently confirmed.
Crowd Solutions estimates 200,000+ across the country.
In scorching heat that reached 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit),...surface temperature or the standard bottom-of-atmosphere measured 2 meters above ground? In Europe they tried quietly switching to support the hottest summer evah! claim, but got caught...
the procession into Jerusalem turned the city’s main entrance into a sea of blue and white Israeli flags as marchers completed the last leg of a four-day, 70 kilometer (45-mile) trek from Tel Aviv to Israel’s parliament. Arriving at the Knesset, protesters sang Israel’s national anthem, "Hatikva."Members of the Students’ Protest group set up a "tent city" in Sacher Park, adjacent to the Knesset, with protesters planning to remain there until further notice.
Related:
Judicial oversight: 2023-07-19 Report: Netanyahu told Biden opposition parties aren’t serious about negotiations
Judicial oversight: 2023-07-02 Turnout rises, several arrested as anti-overhaul protests enter 26th week
Judicial oversight: 2023-03-26 Citing ‘Islamo-Nazi ideologies,’ judge refused to free anti-overhaul demonstrator
Judicial oversight: 2023-07-19 Report: Netanyahu told Biden opposition parties aren’t serious about negotiations
Judicial oversight: 2023-07-02 Turnout rises, several arrested as anti-overhaul protests enter 26th week
Judicial oversight: 2023-03-26 Citing ‘Islamo-Nazi ideologies,’ judge refused to free anti-overhaul demonstrator