Free speech? Two protesters arrested for calling Ben-Gvir a criminal - legal aid org
Israel
Two women were arrested for calling National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir a criminal at protests Saturday night, according to an organization that provides legal aid to protesters.
“One was arrested for saying that Ben-Gvir is a criminal, and one was arrested after shouting that Ben-Gvir ran a red light, and asking [police] why they did not arrest him,” said Smadar Lahav Evenstein from the organization.
Both women were released later Saturday night, with no conditions and without a case opened against them, according to Nir Alfasa, the legal aid lawyer who handled the case.
“Israel Police, not for the first time, plucked protesters from the street who did nothing wrong,” said Alfasa.
“When videos of the arrest were shown to the investigation unit, it quickly became apparent that these were pointless arrests of two women,” he said, explaining why they were released with no case opened.
FAMILY MEMBERS, friends, and supporters of those taken hostage on October 7 by Hamas complete the final stage of their march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last weekend. (credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)
FAMILY MEMBERS, friends, and supporters of those taken hostage on October 7 by Hamas complete the final stage of their march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last weekend. (credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)
Alfasa added that the aid organization will help the women make sure their rights against police are met after police “forcefully arrested them for no reason.”
Seven protesters were arrested in Tel Aviv at Saturday night’s protest with all released the same night, according to the legal aid organization. Police said the seven were arrested for disrupting public order.
A few protesters began an illegal parade with the intent of disrupting public order and blocking main roads despite calls from police to desist, Israel Police responded in a statement about the event. “The protesters did not follow instructions and confronted officers,” they added.
Additional protesters were arrested and then released
Police addressed the arrest of one of the female protesters saying “she was arrested, brought to the station and quickly released without delay after the circumstances of the event were examined.”
In a video of the arrest of one of the two women legal aid say were arrested for calling Ben Gvir a criminal, police can be seen detaining her while she was standing on the sidewalk, behind police barricades.
Political protest organization New Deal responded saying that “in a democratic state, members of the government are not above the law or the people and of course you can criticize them at protests.”
“Ben-Gvir is turning the police into his own private militia. We won’t let this deter us, this just emphasizes the need to replace the government and will only make the protest stronger,” they added.