An N12 journalist and a Channel 13 journalist were attacked by protesters at a pro-judicial reform protest in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening, as tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in the intersection in front of Azrieli Center to demand the continuation of the judicial reform.
Videos from the scene where the N12 journalist was attacked showed protesters surrounding the journalist and the camera crew and pushing them, with a police officer attempting to intervene. The assailants chanted “shame, shame” and “[Kach party head Meir] Kahane was right.”
יריקות ודחיפות: כתב חדשות 12 גלעד שלמור הותקף בהפגנת תומכי הרפורמה בת”א – וחולץ על ידי המשטרהhttps://t.co/epxYFPphpL pic.twitter.com/Q7pHkaPNPJ
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) July 23, 2023
Additionally, shortly after the protest, Channel 13 journalist Noga Nir Neeman was attacked by protesters who blocked her car and began banging on the vehicle.
הודעת חדשות 13: מגישת חדשות 13, נגה ניר נאמן, הותקפה ברכבה לאחר השידור בהפגנת תומכי הרפורמה בקפלן כשקבוצת מפגינים חסמה את דרכה ודפקה על רכבה באלימות. pic.twitter.com/Ba07JuJt4p
— Ran Boker רן בוקר (@ranboker) July 23, 2023
Journalists who are not from Channel 14 have been repeatedly attacked at pro-reform protests since the beginning of the year, with once instance in March ending with Channel 13 reporter Yossi Eli being hospitalized due to his ribs being fractured by violent protesters. A Channel 13 photographer was hit on the head during that attack as well.
Pro-judicial reform protesters cover up the ”Democracy Square” sign in Tel Aviv. July 23, 2023 (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)Police Chief Kobi Shabtai arrived at the protest later in the afternoon. During the protest, a number of protesters attempted to go to the Ayalon highway to block it, but were stopped by police.
Protesters attack AG, reservists ending volunteer service
Protesters at the demonstration held signs calling for Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara to be fired and saying that “The High Court of Justice is dripping with Jewish blood,” as well as “theo-cra-cy” and “Sanhedrin now!”
Additional signs attacked volunteer reservists who have chosen to suspend or end their volunteer service due to the advancement of the judicial reform and signs questioning why there is no Yemenite justice in the High Court, a reference to concerns that there are mostly Ashkenazi justices in the High Court. (The current High Court includes one justice whose parents immigrated from Iraq, one Muslim justice, and one justice whose parents immigrated from Morocco)
Protesters also placed stickers reading “Reform Square” and other slogans on a sign recently put up by the Tel Aviv Municipality naming the intersection on Kaplan Street “Democracy Square.”
Additionally, after the protest, groups of right-wing protesters marched through Tel Aviv chanting “death to Arabs” and pulling down police barriers in video published on social media.
החיפושים אחרי אקשן נמשכים, וגם הקללות. רובם כאן נערים, חלקם מבוגרים יותר pic.twitter.com/RPiBc5y2IL
— רן שמעוני Ran Shimoni (@ran_shimoni) July 23, 2023
Similar incidents occurred in past right-wing protests in Tel Aviv, including vandalism of apartments that had LGBTQ+ Pride flags on their balconies.
The protest was endorsed by some religious Zionist rabbis and coalition members in recent weeks, with some right-wing movements organizing buses to transport protesters from the West Bank and a few locations in northern and southern Israel to the demonstration.
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