Hundreds demonstrated in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv

Hundreds arrived this evening (Thursday) in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv as part of the self-employed protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following the economic collapse and the downfall of many self-employed and business owners in the economy following the Corona crisis. Dozens of organizations from the restaurants, tourism, nightlife, events, fitness, stage, fashion, tour guides, shulmanim and self-employed people from other fields are participating in the protest. They are also expected to hold a protest march on the streets of Tel Aviv tonight.
The organizers wanted to make it clear that this was not a political protest but a protest against livelihoods. They called for opening the economy and compensating business owners. Rami Beja, one of the leaders of the industrialists' protest, opened the demonstration: "Mr. Prime Minister, no one is asking for your head. Minister of Finance, no one is asking for your head. We are asking for your honest, non-political mind, which makes good decisions for the economy. "You also got this joke that the most successful network today is 'for rent' because all over the country these are the signs. We have no livelihood and why? Because they closed us off for political reasons."
Dr. Avi Mizrahi, director of the corona department at Assaf Harofeh Hospital, came to support the self-employed and said that the health care system was not collapsing. "The chance of recovery is excellent and at no stage were we close to a collapse in the hospitals," he said on the podium. . Closure is not the only cure for the plague. "
Economist Prof. Yaron Zelicha said in his speech on stage that "Netanyahu is busy distributing money to the masses. Not gifts, loans that need to be repaid. We are facing terrible years, but Netanyahu is busy with his trial and himself."
Protest organizations say that "the most detached government in the history of the State of Israel has destroyed the economy and small businesses." According to them, the damage done is very serious and hundreds of businesses across the country have already closed since the outbreak of the corona crisis. "Life enterprises are collapsing, businesses are closing and people are going bankrupt. There is no future and no hope. There is no budget, no planning, no responsibility, no personal example, no reforms and no policies," protest organizers said.
Despite the decline in morbidity, the Corona Cabinet is not expected to change the outline of the quarantine at this stage and bring forward the opening of additional industries in the economy. As you may recall, according to the outline of the Ministry of Health, businesses with a public reception are expected to open only in the third phase, which is expected to take place in about a month.
At the same time, there is a protest demonstration in Tel Aviv led by a number of young organizations, which have been protesting against Prime Minister Netanyahu in recent weeks. They marched from Habima Square to a march through the city streets with the participation of hundreds.
Yesterday, the police issued an unusual statement, in which they asked the leaders of the youth protest to come to a meeting with senior Tel Aviv district officials in order to "coordinate expectations" ahead of tonight's demonstration, but none of the protest leaders came claiming it was a popular protest without organizers.
"It is better for the police to deal with the protection of the civilians and the protection of the demonstrators who are attacked every night in the streets instead of spreading lies and spins," the youth protest organization said. "This is a popular protest, decentralized and without leadership. If the police want to meet leaders, they are welcome to meet them on the streets, there are more than a quarter of a million of them."
Many of the regular participants in the demonstrations in Tel Aviv came tonight to a protest march in Haifa, where demonstrators were attacked last week. The "Komi Israel", "The Insults" and "Pink Front" youth movements stated that "we must go to Haifa tonight with pink flags of compassion and hope to show solidarity with the locals who initiated the march. Solidarity is at the root of our values ​​in protest and is the answer to the destruction and incitement of politicians. ".