September 3 - the final demo?

We were out on the streets last night, together with another 400-450,000 people, in what was optimistically dubbed The 'March of the Million'. The million didn't materialize but it was still the biggest protest ever held in Israel. All these photos were taken on the upmarket Kikar Hamedina (State Square), an ironic venue for a social protest

Encompassed by boutiques selling Tshirts for hundreds of shekels, hundreds of thousands of Israel's long suffering middle class came to chant, perhaps for the last time this summer "ha am doresh tzedek chevrati!" (the people demand social justice!).

An English speaking protestor turned the familiar graphic slogan "I (heart) Tel Aviv " into, "I can't afford to (heart) Tel Aviv "


The (religious) Reform movement touts a banner quoting a Biblical commandment to pursue righteousness

Like all the previous demonstrations, this one too, though noisy, was completely peaceful. On the outskirts it looked more like family outing than an angry protest.

Two dads? A dad and an uncle?

"If I were a Rothschild" ( Hebrew version of If "I Were A Rich Man" )

Yadayim lema'ala (hands in the air)

1 F-35 (new war plane) = 57 new schools

Israel is "dear" to us

Wake Up !

These two little fellows were captivated by the fiery speeches emanating from the invisible stage. The impressive students leader Itzik Shmuli talked of a generation of "new Israelis" that demanded a new social agenda.  (Ms) Dafni Leef, the iconic, trilby-hatted film student, and the instigator and emotional  "heart" of this summer's social protest movement, said that they had succeeded in changing the language. Instead of tzdaka (charity) people were now saying tzedek (justice).
The people on the swish balconies around the square (which is acually a circle) had a grandstand view. The rich have all the luck!


Young beneficiaries (hopefully) of the change in national priorities but meanwhile, just crushed against the cash dispensers.
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Comments

Lynn Cohen said…
Wow, so interesting to see. Loved all the slogans!
I especially loved the flash to the past (for me) seeing the child in the "agula" baby stroller that looks like a playpen on wheels, like the ones we used 47 years ago on the kibbutz when my son was a baby there. Thanks for sharing.
Hope it makes a difference.

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