Protesters for, against migrant expulsion clash in Tel Aviv
150 south Tel Aviv residents protest outside Tel Aviv home of Chief Justice Esther Hayut in protest of injunction issued by court temporarily blocking expulsion; Sheffi Paz: 'High Court strengthening foreign occupation of south Tel Aviv'; clashes noted with some 25 anti-expulsion protesters also present.
Some 150 south Tel Aviv residents demonstrated Saturday evening outside the home of Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut in Tel Aviv's Tzahala neighborhood in protest of the injunction issued by the court this week blocking the plan to expel asylum seekers.
About 25 residents of south Tel Aviv participated in a counter-protest voicing support for the High Court's decision and objection to the expulsion. Some minor clashes between the two groups were noted, with protesters against the expulsion claiming two females and one male activists were physically assaulted.
The pro-expulsion rally was spearheaded by the "South Tel Aviv Liberation Front" group led by Sheffi Paz, in conjunction with the right-wing Im Tirzu movement and other supporters from across the country, calling to "change the court's discriminatory policy against south Tel Aviv residents."
After initially protesting for several months outside the homes of former chief justice Miriam Naor in Jerusalem and then her successor Hayut in Tel Aviv, south Tel Aviv residents halted protests for several weeks, only to renew the protest Saturday.
Protesters called out slogans such as, "The High Court against the people, the people against the High Court," "We shall prevail," "The Knesset legislates and the kingdom of the High Court strikes down" and "Jews also have human rights."
Sheffi Paz spoke during the protest, saying, "While three High Court justices—none of whom were elected by us—give us all the finger, it's time to say enough is enough. For ten years the High Court has been abusing us under the pretext of human rights, while thwarting the elected government's immigration policy, caring for infiltrators' every need and strengthening the foreign occupation of south Tel Aviv."
Chairman of the Im Tirzu movement Matan Peleg said, "Once again we see how the High Court places itself above elected officials and acts as a sages' council ordering everyone to fall into line with its whims, just like in Iran. It's time to put a clear stop to the High Court's extremist caprices."
Activists from "South Tel Aviv against the expulsion" protested nearby, led by Shula Keshet. Protesters called, "We, the residents of south Tel Aviv, support the court's decision and demand to stop the expulsion.
"We demand an orderly plan to disperse asylum seekers in established communities across Israel, halting the evacuation of long-standing residents and a true rehabilitation of south Tel Aviv neighborhoods."
