Demonstrators against the judicial overhaul outside Terminal 3 of Ben-Gurion airport
(Video: Kaplan Force)
Police arrested 37 protesters against the judicial overhaul who were protesting on Monday at Ben-Gurion Airport, accusing them of violating the public order. Thousands of protesters blocked the road into the airport, filled the parking garage, and gathered in front of Terminal 3 of the airport - while dozens entered the main terminal during the protests that began at about 4 p.m. on Monday.
More stories:
Police declared the protest illegal a couple hours later and used force to remove the protesters, many of whom resisted removal, including by lying down on the ground.
By about 9:30 p.m. several hundred protesters remained outside of the main terminal.
At the same hour, protesters flocked to the police station in Ramla, where the arrested demonstrators were taken, to show their support for the detainees.
"We are in the midst of an unprecedented event in Israel. We make it clear to the Israeli government that the dictatorship will not pass," the Kaplan Force protest group said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the police carried out illegal and violent arrests, and they do not allow the men and women of the Kaplan Force to reach Terminal 3 any more. Those on the way, those who want to join and also those at Ben-Gurion Airport - we call on you to come to the police station in Ramla, where most of the detainees ended up. As always, we will not leave any detainee without support until his release."
Matan Lulian, a protester who came from Herzliya to the protest at the airport, told Ynet that he took a day off of work to attend the demonstration. "This government gives us, every week, a reason to leave the house (to protest). We don't let them pass anything they want, and that's how it will continue. This is the way to do it."
He said that he would go to demonstrate at the the police station in Ramla."We are with them until the end. These arrests are illegal, and therefore they are detained and not arrested. Any detained person would want to know that there is a large and noisy crowd outside the police station waiting for him until he leaves," he said.
The demonstration, which had been announced last week, began with protesters carrying a large copy of the country's Declaration of Independence into the airport, which was read out by veterans of the Yom Kippur war, followed by the singing of the national anthem, Hatikvah.
Earlier in the day, protesters from the Brothers in Arms group blocked the Haifa Port.
The Airports Authority announced that all flights took off as scheduled. Some 92,600 passengers were expected to pass through the airport on Monday.
First published: 22:20, 07.03.23