Almost Dozen Participants in Anti-Government Demonstrations in Israel Arrested - Reports

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - Nearly a dozen people were arrested during anti-government demonstrations in Israel, where a new coronavirus-related lockdown has been introduced, The Jerusalem Post newspaper reports.

Thousands of protesters headed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's official residence in Jerusalem on Sunday. Some demonstrators started disturbing the peace and assaulting police officers, The Jerusalem Post said.

שיירות שיירות בדרך לבלפור.
מרגש! 🇮🇱💪 pic.twitter.com/FRNp0GlrrO

— הדר סגל hadar segal 🏴🇮🇱 (@hadarse) September 20, 2020

The anti-Netanyahu convoy departs Jerusalem pic.twitter.com/KquTUlFY3T

— Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) September 20, 2020

כיכר פריז עכשיו. הרוב עם מסכות. ריחוק חברתי - פחות. pic.twitter.com/8H7leH7rmd

— Suleiman Maswadeh סולימאן מסוודה (@SuleimanMas1) September 20, 2020

One driver raced toward a crowd of protesters in his car, hitting the breaks at the last moment.

A car was driven at speed towards protesters demonstrating against #Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin #Netanyahu in #Jerusalem on Sunday.
Footage shows the driver braking abruptly in front of the rally, before being arrested. A police investigation is now reportedly underway. pic.twitter.com/RPWeN6uRVb

— Ruptly (@Ruptly) September 20, 2020

The driver was arrested. A total of 11 protesters were detained by police on Sunday, according to the newspaper.

On Friday, a second coronavirus-related lockdown took effect in Israel, for a period of three weeks with a possibility of extension. An additional 1,000 police officers have been mobilised to enforce the lockdown, Israeli police spokesman Mikhail Zingerman told Sputnik.

Anti-government protests in Israel have been ongoing since July, with demonstrators calling for Netanyahu’s resignation amid an economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.