Israeli police say they have arrested at least one person during anti-government protests in Tel Aviv on Saturday night.
A police spokesperson says police initially authorized a demonstration at the Kaplan intersection of the city, but later, a number of protesters gathered at a different intersection, lit torches and tried to go down to a road to block it. Authorities deemed those protests illegal and ordered people to disperse.
Police say the group didn’t obey that order and that officers used unspecified “measures” to try to clear the area. At least one person was arrested over disorderly conduct, and several traffic tickets were handed out.
Some context: Israel has seen large anti-government protests in major cities for weeks, with domonstrators calling for the release of all hostages held in Gaza and, in many cases, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation over his handling of the war.
Friday’s protests also come as an ultimatum from war cabinet member Benny Gantz — who said he would leave the government if the cabinet does not lay out a plan for the war against Hamas by early June — has added further turmoil to Netanyahu’s government.
