Police make arrests, use water cannon at Kaplan Street demo
Mass rally held at Hostages Square
Arrests have been made at an unapproved protest in Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street for new elections, according to a statement by the Israel Police on Saturday night.
In its statement, the Police said that “we continue our efforts to maintain public order in the face of protesters who continue to confront the police and refuse to obey our instructions in an attempt to block major roads that harm the routine of residents of Tel Aviv and the surrounding area. So far, 18 rioters have been arrested.
“Following the violations of public order, the demonstrators – who were not part of the planned protest approved by the police – confronted the police officers and continued to block roads,” the statement continued.
During the evacuation of the demonstrators, measures were used to disperse demonstrations, including water cannons, according to reports.
The police ended their statement, saying, “The Israel Police considers the right to protest as a cornerstone in a democratic country and allows protests as long as they are held within the framework of the law; at the same time, the Police will not allow disturbances of any kind or damage to freedom of movement and any behavior that may endanger the safety of the public.”
The families of the hostages held a mass rally at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv with the slogan, “Choose the hostages,” on Saturday night.
Singer Sagiv Cohen and child star Nati screened a special music video for the song “We Will Turn Every Stone” with the participation of the hostage families.
Additionally, singer Elin Golan performed a rendition of the song “I Have No Place” with eight-month-pregnant Michal Lubanov, the wife of Alex Lubanov, who is still in captivity in Gaza.
Eliyahu Liebman, father of the hostage Eliakim Liebman and head of the Kiryat Arba Council, offered a prayer for the peace of the soldiers and the return of the hostages.
The demonstration came following an announcement that hostage deal negotiations made meaningful progress and that Hamas was willing to be more flexible with its demands.
On the stage, representatives from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said, “We support