Ashkelon students and their parents demonstrated in two places Tuesday morning on behalf of fortified facilities in the city, in the wake of increased missile attacks on the area originating in Hamas-controlled Gaza. Sixth graders from the Beit Yehezkel school demonstrated in front of city hall and the school's parent committee said it would boycott classes for lack of protection against the missiles. Only ten of the school's 700 students showed up for classes.

Several hundred students of the Or Menachem Chabad school and their parents staged a prayer-and-protest rally in front of the old Ashkelon College building in the city's Atikot neighborhood. They also claim they are forced to study in a run-down building while the college has unused classrooms.