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| Violence erupts near Knesset as police forcibly disperse anti-government protesters | ||
| 2025-05-06 | ||
Hundreds of anti-government demonstrators protested outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Monday afternoon, with police forcibly dispersing some of those gathered, as festivities broke out between protesters and officers. The protesters had marched from the Chords Bridge to the Knesset complex for a demonstration timed to coincide with the first weekly faction meetings following the end of the spring recess.
While the demonstrators were allowed to rally outside the Knesset, some of them were said to have tried to block the entrance to the Prime Minister’s Office, which is just across the street. Police ordered them to move, and later forcibly removed those who refused. Protest organizers said that at least two people were arrested in the festivities, though one was released shortly afterward. Police said that some protesters ignored police demands to move out of the way and "swore at a police officer" who was on duty. In a statement, police said one protester was arrested after attacking a female police officer who was working to clear demonstrators from the unauthorized zone. In footage posted online, police could be seen hauling protesters across the street while crowds jostled around them. In a second video clip, a protester is dragged across the street by the arm, while another is hauled out of the crowd by a cop pulling him by the strap of his backpack.
♦️ Documentation: Police began to forcibly remove anti-government protesters in front of the Knesset. Photo: Ziv Shema Communications. Addressing the Knesset on Monday, Regional Cooperation Minister Dudi Amsalem accused protest organizers of being funded by Iran, sparking outrage from some opposition MKs. "You’ve been doing this for more than 2.5 years, with huge amounts of money that you raise from overseas, including from hostile countries," he said, speaking from the Knesset rostrum. "I’m convinced, by the way, that your protests are also being funded by Iranian parties... Time will tell." His comments prompted yelling from Labor MK Efrat Rayten and Yesh Atid MK Merav Ben-Ari. Some of the protesters gathered outside the Knesset were tied to the larger movement to free the hostages remaining in Gaza, who were particularly angry after the government overnight approved an expansion of the fighting that was said to include "conquering" the Strip. | ||
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