Thousands of people participated Saturday evening in a demonstration organized by the families' headquarters to return the hostages near the Kirya base in Tel Aviv.
At the end of the demonstration in Tel Aviv, dozens of protesters intermittently blocked the Ayalon Highway. Mounted police officers were summoned to the scene. Clashes broke out between protesters and police in other hotspots where the demonstration took place in Tel Aviv.
Despite an organized area designated for the protest, demonstrators illegally assembled on Menachem Begin Road. They violently broke through police barriers and began marching northwards, blocking the road and disrupting the public order while engaging in violent clashes with the police.
The police declared the gathering an illegal demonstration and began to use force, including mounted police. During the dispersal of the disorderly participants, the police arrested five suspects and issued traffic reports for blocking the road on Menachem Begin Road.
"We take serious note of the disruptions of public order, which cause the police to divert forces engaged in security tasks and public safety. We will act with zero tolerance towards those who disrupt order and do not comply with police instructions," the police declared.
"The Israeli Police view the right to protest as a cornerstone in a democratic state and allow protests as long as they are held within the law. However, the police will not allow any disturbances of order, hindrance to freedom of movement, or any behavior that may endanger public safety."