More than 10,000 people left Kibbutz Nachshon Friday morning in a protest march on the way to Jerusalem, ahead of the Knesset votes on the cancellation of the ‘Reasonableness Clause’ early next week. Thousands of them already began their march Thursday evening, towards the kibbutz itself, and many more arrived there last night as part of what’s being called the "Night of Resistance" protests.
The protest leaders announced and began their march earlier this week, in preparation for the vote in the plenary on reducing the clause. The march lasted for four days, with the group doing 15 km hikes per day. "We must create a tie-breaking move" - the organizers said on Tuesday after the another "Day of Resistance."
Protest march to Jerusalem that set out Tuesday night https://t.co/BIkpZP1Z6U
— Neri Zilber (@NeriZilber) July 20, 2023
Highway 3 between the ancient ruins of the Crusader's Latrun castle and Nachshon Junction was full at night with vehicles parked on both sides, the road to the kibbutz was very much blocked, and the kibbutz itself looked like a sort of gathering area. "We did the whole march from the Lehi forest to here with our children. What will happen on Monday in the Knesset? I have no idea but I am afraid," said one of the parents who came with his children to the kibbutz.
Last night, crowds demonstrated in dozens of key locations across the country as part of what the protest leaders defined as a "Night of Resistance". After the statement made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the media, the organizers of the protest called on the public to demonstrate in Kaplan. During the evening and night hours, Tel Aviv’s central highway was blocked temporarily, and there were clashes between police officers and protesters who tried to get down to the other side of the road.
Anti-judicial overhaul activists on a multi-day protest march to Jerusalem walking along the side of the highway pic.twitter.com/fyYsyHT0Z5
— Sam Sokol (@SamuelSokol) July 20, 2023
At some point during the night, the ‘Ayalon North’ part of the highway was blocked to traffic due to protesters who came down to the road and lit a bonfire. After about an hour and a half, the police were able to get the protesters off the road, and they dispersed.
The anti-judicial reform protestors are on a march to Jerusalem
— Yisrael Medad (@ymedad) July 20, 2023
They bedded down at Ben Shemen...and were awaken in the middle of the night with cries of "Demokratia" and "Busha". pic.twitter.com/Ftc1ZdvtM1
The police said that during the clearing of the road, a policeman was injured and was taken to the Ichilov Hospital for medical treatment. A photographer for one of the Israeli media outlets present at the scene was hit by a cop car while standing on the side of the road with a camera, and she was also directed to receive medical treatment at the Ichilov Hospital. During the clashes, seven protesters were arrested, including six suspected of disorderly conduct and another suspect of attacking police officers.
