By: Nicholas Wang

Thousands of protesters marched to Jerusalem, many from as far as Tel Aviv, a coastal city that is tens of kilometers from Jerusalem. They camp along the route on dusty roads and march in the sweltering heat, transforming the road into a sea of flags and blocking the way for cars.

On the evening of Saturday, July 22nd, a crowd of around 20,000 marchers arrived at Jerusalem, after marching for almost a week, starting from the previous Tuesday. The protesters wanted to protest and reform the government’s plan to limit judicial power. They also accused the government of being a dictatorship.

The length of the crowd was almost 4 kilometers, forcing cars onto a single lane. The crowd even included people in wheelchairs and crutches The protesters marched 70 km under horrible conditions due to the scorching heat of almost 40°.

At night, they had to camp in tents near the road in nearby villages and towns. The massive protest march event even created a tent city in Jerusalem Park under the Parliament Building where some protesters camped to prepare for future protests.

Histadrut, a large Israeli union announced the same Saturday night that it was holding an emergency meeting in response to the government’s plan. People speculate the meeting could result in a large strike being called.

“Have you ever seen anything like this?” asked Ilana Holzman, age 65, who joined the march near the end on Saturday. “I think this is the only place to be right now,” she continues, “Not at the beach and not in the air-conditioning. Here you see the people of Israel at their best. It’s terribly hot, but they are marching on.” Comparing of the march to relaxing on the beach or in the Ac, she emphasizes that the hardships of the march are completely worth it considering the importance of the changes they hope to inspire.

“We’re marching because the government, to make a long story short, is trying to turn us into a dictatorship,” said Navot Silberstein, age 31, shortly after reaching the top of the steep hills west of Jerusalem on Friday evening. “We won’t live in a country where the government has too much power over us,” he continued, his shirt drenched in sweat after walking for hours in the sun. Like Ilana, Navot agrees that this cause is worth the hardships of marching for hours in the blazing sun.

Source:

on Huge Protest March Reaches Jerusalem After 5-Day Trek From Tel Aviv – The New York Times