Water cannons used to break up Israel protest

ISRAELI police used water cannons to disperse protesters in central Jerusalem as clashes broke out after thousands of people took part in a demonstration against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israelis have held a series of demonstrations in recent weeks calling on Netanyahu to resign, citing his trial on corruption charges and his fractious unity government’s poor handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The protest near the prime minister’s residence began around on Thursday night and was initially largely peaceful but police said at least 55 people were later arrested.

A smaller counter-protest in support of Netanyahu was held nearby, with the two camps separated by metal barricades and a large police presence.

Police said they moved in to disperse the protesters when they tried to stage a procession through the city. Officers scuffled with demonstrators before four large trucks roared into action, spraying water cannons and scattering the crowds. At times, it appeared the trucks were spraying protesters from behind as they tried to leave the area peacefully.

Israel imposed a general lockdown when the first coronavirus cases appeared in March and by May had largely succeeded in containing the outbreak. But then it moved quickly to lift virtually all restrictions, and in the following weeks cases surged. Netanyahu meanwhile faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust over a series of long-running corruption investigations.

Critics say he is more focused on escaping legal accountability than on containing the pandemic. Many have speculated he intends to call yet another election, allegations he claimed were “absurd”.