Tel Aviv: Thousands of Israelis protested outside the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night and into early Sunday, pressing ahead with a monthslong campaign demanding that the embattled Israeli leader resign.
The protests, now in their 11th week, came as Israel is coping with record levels of coronavirus infections.
Demonstrators have been protesting Netanyahu’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, which has led to soaring unemployment, and they say he should step down while on trial for corruption charges.
Protesters held banners reading “Revolution” and “Get out of here” and held blue-and-white Israeli flags. A sign aimed at the prime minister was projected on a building reading in Hebrew: “Enough with you.”
Smaller crowds gathered on bridges and at intersections across the country, also calling for Netanyahu to step down.
The government moved quickly to contain the coronavirus last spring, but bungled the reopening of the economy and now finds itself dealing with a stronger outbreak.
The death toll has surpassed 1,000 people, and the country is considering a new lockdown to stop the rapid spike in daily infections. Israel currently has over 26,000 active COVID-19 cases.
