Tel-Chai Nation

A convoy of leftists traveled in dozens of cars to Jerusalem, just so they could protest the Netanyahu-led government, while ignoring restrictions on how to gather during the Coronavirus crisis:

Over 100 vehicles carrying demonstrators protesting against the closure of the Knesset made their way to the capital on Thursday, and ran into police efforts to block and break up the convoy. Some protesters later demonstrated outside the parliament and scuffled with police, leading to five arrests.

Opposition leaders excoriated police for trying to stifle the protests, accusing the force of engaging in undemocratic actions in service of an unelected government. Police rejected the accusations outright, saying they were maintaining the law and public order.

Protest organizers said the demonstration was “to save Israel’s democracy” under threat from government actions taken under the cover of a campaign against the spread of the coronavirus.

[...] Protest organizers said the convoy complied with Health Ministry directives aimed at maintaining social distancing in order to stop the spread of the virus, as drivers were instructed to remain inside their cars. Later, outside the Knesset, some protesters demonstrated on foot and confronted police.

Judging from this picture, it doesn't really look like they were maintaining much physical distance from each other, and their protest was blatant disrespect for a government trying to keep the public safe from health hazards.

Protest organizers advised drivers to take down their flags until they could reach the capital. Police eventually allowed the convoy to continue after facing criticism from opposition lawmakers, among them former Jerusalem District police commander and now Blue and White lawmaker MK Mickey Levy.

Oh, it figures somebody like that would join their embarrassment of a party.

Dozens of drivers were eventually able to get to the capital and approach the parliament area, where police blocked access roads to the Knesset itself. The sound of the drivers honking their horns could be heard across a wide swath of the capital.

Police said five protesters were arrested after they “behaved in a disorderly manner, blocked a road and violated [Health Ministry] health guidelines.”

Yet Benny Gantz and company are actually defending them while talking out of both sides of their mouths:

Blue and White chief Benny Gantz called to follow Health Ministry instructions and avoid gatherings, but lauded citizens’ concern over “actions to crush democracy led by Netanyahu and Edelstein” and stressed that the action of police in holding up the convoy was “unreasonable in a democratic country.”

His no. 2 Yair Lapid tweeted that he “salutes” the drivers. Another top Blue and White MK, Ofer Shelah, claimed police had come with “a mission to abuse the drivers.”

Said Shelah: “They gave out reports to people for disrupting traffic on an open road, they held up intersections to arrest those who joined them. This is what a democracy looks like when the government has decided to wreck it.”

Labor-Meretz leader Amir Peretz called police actions an “indecent assault” on democracy and “acts we cannot accept.”

Police rejected any accusations of political motives for their actions, calling them “unfounded” claims.

“No one is above the law or above Health Ministry edicts, regardless of their opinions or political positions,” police said in a statement. “We expect the entirety of the public to follow the law.”

It's just like the leftists to take such a blatant double-standard on these shoddy excuses for citizens. Here's the response by authorities:

Police on Thursday strongly rejected claims by political rivals of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the interception of a convoy of vehicles and the arrests of protesters at a demonstration in Jerusalem against the closure of the Knesset were politically motivated.

“We reject in disgust all the futile attempts to drag the police into the political discourse or attribute to it political motivates,” a statement from police said. “No one is above the law or above the public health orders issued by the Health Ministry, regardless of his or her political views.”

Police said they expected to adhere to the law and Health Ministry guidelines amid the “national emergency” of the coronavirus outbreak.

“The Israel Police are on the frontline,” it said, emphasizing the “risk” to officers enforcing quarantines or preventing gatherings.

The pushback came after police came under heavy criticism for trying to block and break up a convoy of vehicles carrying demonstrators to Jerusalem. [...]

Obviously, the leftists did this deliberately to undermine efforts to maintain health and safety as much as possible. An utter disgrace, and what if it turns out some were violating quarantines?

Labels: Israel, Jerusalem, Knesset, Moonbattery, political corruption