Police arrested 21 demonstrators across Israel Saturday night while forcibly dispersing protests against the US-Israeli war with Iran, which turned out hundreds of people in major cities nationwide.
Among those arrested were 13 protesters in Tel Aviv and eight in Haifa. Protests were also held in Jerusalem and Beersheba.
The wave of protests was the largest since the outbreak of war with Iran in late February, with hundreds of attendees in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and a roughly 100-person turnout in Haifa.
The swell in attendees came after several mainstream anti-government groups threw their tentative support behind the demonstrations, in tension with the IDF’s wartime restrictions on public gatherings.
At Habima Square in Tel Aviv, protesters decried the war and coalition lawmakers’ decision to continue advancing controversial legislation amid the fighting with Iran.
Demonstrators held signs that read, “forever war is not a strategy” and “even in these complex times, we must oppose.”
Border Police officers were seen violently dispersing protesters. Law enforcement said attendees broke the law by violating the Home Front Command’s regulations barring outdoor public gatherings of over 50 people.
“During a situation assessment that took place at the scene with a Home Front Command representative… it was clarified that there was a real risk to human life and accordingly, Yarkon [precinct] police commander Tzachi Sharabi ordered the gathering to be dispersed,” police said.
Despite his parliamentary immunity, Border Police were also seen putting their hands on Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ayman Odeh, an Arab lawmaker who has been active in the anti-war protests since it began last month.
הגבלת חופש המחאה | שוטרים תקפו את יו״ר חד״ש-תע״ל ח״כ @AyOdeh בזמן שהמשטרה מפזרת באלימות חסרת תקדים את ההפגנה בכיכר הבימה נגד הממשלה והמלחמה pic.twitter.com/j9WFs4mEUf
— חדר מלחמה (@waroomisrael) March 28, 2026
Following the demonstration, Odeh derided the police as fascists “in the service of the government” whom he said were afraid of “the heroic citizens who went out, despite everything, to make their voice heard.”
“We are fighting for the sake of all of our lives, and primarily, for the future of our children,” he wrote. “Enough of war, yes to peace.”
In another instance, an officer grabbed a middle-aged man by his shirt and threw him to the ground.
After the protest had ended, Border Police were seen forcefully shoving attendees who were walking on the sidewalk. The officers followed the small group and repeatedly shouted at them to “move forward.”
גם מחוץ לכיכר הבימה, אחרי פיזור ההפגנה, שוטרים דוחפים באלימות קשה.אחת השוטרות “אני אדחוף אותך עוד פעם, זה יעזור לך להתקדם, יאללה ת’קדם”
תל אביב 28/03/2026???? רועי בושי Roi Boshi pic.twitter.com/phEsPDktLp
— אלימות ישראל (@Alimut_Israel) March 28, 2026
At a similar protest in Haifa, demonstrators waved Israeli flags while chanting against the ongoing fighting. One protester held a sign that read: “Millions of children are growing up in bomb shelters.”
Some participants moved to block a road, law enforcement said, leading the police commander at the scene to declare the gathering unlawful.
Haifa police said they arrested lawbreakers, though at least two of those apprehended did not appear to be blocking traffic at the time of their arrest, as seen in footage from the protest.
Tentative invitation
Though such protests have been taking place weekly since the outset of the war, they previously recorded a scant turnout of mostly dedicated left-wing activists, many affiliated with pro-peace organizations and the Communist Party of Israel.
Last week, several anti-government organizations came to the decision to throw their support behind the protests — albeit tentatively.
Groups such as Rise Israel, Women’s Struggle and the Jerusalem-based Saving our Shared Home spread the word about the demonstrations, but refrained from explicitly calling on their supporters to attend.
An organizer with Saving our Shared Home told The Times of Israel that they are apprehensive about calling on their supporters to transgress the regulations set by the Home Front Command.
“It’s more of a tentative invitation, we’re updating people on the event but not officially inviting them,” he said, adding that there are still many anti-government organizations declining to offer any support to the demonstrations.
Polling has found that the ongoing war with Iran enjoys consistent and decisive support among Jewish Israelis.
An Israel Democracy Institute survey earlier this month found 93 percent of Israel’s Jewish public backed the ongoing US-Israeli offensive, while only 26% of Arab Israelis responded the same.
Source:
www.timesofisrael.com
