by Jerusalem Post Staff
At the same time, right-wing organization Im Tirtzu organized counterdemonstrations in support of the government's plans.
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| (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV) |
Four students were arrested in Jerusalem on Monday as thousands of students at over 10 universities and colleges left their classes to protest against the new government's plans for judicial reform.
דיווחים מירושלים מהפגנת הסטודנטים נגד ההפיכה המשטרית: המשטרה עצרה 3 סטודנטים.--פרטים נוספים בהמשךמצורפים סרטונים מהאירוע pic.twitter.com/Z8FPLY29CL
— Or-ly Barlev ~ אור-לי ברלב (@orlybarlev) January 16, 2023
Organizers of the protest stated: "We strongly condemn the bullying of the Jerusalem police officers towards students who seek to exercise their right to protest and raise their voices against the coup d'état. It seems that the police in Jerusalem decided to violently suppress a legitimate protest. It's hard not to wonder in whose service the police are acting considering harsh scenes and the unnecessary violence used against law-abiding students."
"The shutdown and demonstrations constitute the opening shot for a long, determined and uncompromising struggle against the regime coup which is expected to include many and varied protest actions in the coming period inside and outside the campuses," the organizers of the protests said.
"We the students are not ready to remain silent in the face of the revolution and the selling-out of the judicial system," they added.
"Democracy is not an empty slogan, but an essence that must be fought for. This is an uncompromising struggle for our future against a government that, in the name of the tyranny of the majority, threatens to trample democracy, and then, without restraint and without brakes, harm the equality and freedom of many groups in Israeli society. We are determined to stop this madness and this is only the beginning. We will protest in our masses and call loudly - no to the override of the court. No to the politicization of the judges. No to the coup d'état."
Some institutions explicitly allowed the students to leave classes to demonstrate.
Protesters in support of the government. (credit: IM TIRTZU)"I ask you to accommodate the desire of the students to express their position publicly. If a student chooses to leave the classroom to demonstrate, this must be allowed. Please refrain from comments that may inflame the spirits," Vice-rector of Bar-Ilan University Arye Reich wrote in a letter to university staff on Sunday.
Support for the planned reforms
Meanwhile, the right-wing organization Im Tirtzu organized demonstrations in support of the government plans in at least six universities, using slogans such as "Protecting democracy! The rebellion will not help, the reform must pass" and "No to civil war, yes to the citizens' decision."
"We will not stand by while public figures call for riots and citizens demonstrate with the flags of a terrorist organization and compare the Justice Ministry to Nazis. The elections have been decided, the majority of the people support the reform of the justice system, it is time to move forward and preserve democracy in our country," stated Shai Rosengarten, head of the activist wing of Im Tirtzu.
Orit Eliyahu, coordinator of Im Tirtzu at Tel Aviv University said: "Yair Lapid is right, there is a hostile takeover of the High Court of Justice over the political discourse. We must reform the justice system!"
Walla News contributed to this report.
Jerusalem Post Staff
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-728672
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