Israelis staged their own Canada-style “Freedom Convoy” demonstration against coronavirus restrictions on Monday, with thousands of cars converging onto the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in the capital of Jerusalem.
Signs reading “cancel the mask mandate,” “no more restrictions, going back to normal,” “new world order,” were hung from cars while protesters on foot beat drums, chanted slogans and even blew shofars – or rams horns – in front of the Knesset building — all in a bid to call on the government to end the pandemic restrictions and remove Israel from a state of emergency.
“Freedom doesn’t look like this,” read one sign accompanied with an image of a girl in a mask.
“I’m here for my children, so that they can have a better world,” one of the protesters told the Haaretz daily.
“Rights are being taken away from citizens with no real justification, and we need to fight that.” But, she added, “We are no one’s enemies.”
“We are all gathered here for freedom. Because for two years already, all this world is going mad because of all the mandates and all the things that don’t let us live as free as we are born,” one protestor said to Reuters.
While Israel has removed many restrictions in recent weeks, including the Green Pass showing proof of vaccination at restaurants, movie theaters, gyms and hotels, Israelis are still required to show a Green Pass for large gatherings including weddings and masks are still mandatory indoors.