11 arrested in anti-gov't rally held in Jerusalem, despite lockdown
Police also arrest driver apparently trying to ram his vehicle into protesters outside PM's residence
Israel Police arrested 11 people in anti-government protests held Sunday night outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Jerusalem residence.
Even as the country is on lockdown imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic, Israelis turned out in their thousands. Attending a protest is one of the permitted activities, despite the recent spike in cases.
Demonstrators brandished banners calling on Netanyahu to resign and taking aim at the government's handling of the pandemic.
Police also arrested a driver who accelerated toward the protesters, apparently with the intention of ramming his car into the crowd, Israeli media reported.
Police received a complaint that Netanyahu aides Topaz Luk and Ofer Golan broke quarantine to film the protesters. The Likud responded that Luk was returning from a mandated COVID-19 test, while Golan was never under a quarantine order.
Netanyahu has faced weeks of public protests against his leadership, including on Thursday when hundreds of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv against the decision to impose a second lockdown, as the country is suffering one of the world's highest rates of coronavirus infection.
Israel had initially been widely praised for curbing the spread of COVID-19 by imposing a stringent lockdown in March, but authorities have acknowledged that they were too quick to ease restrictions subsequently.
As of Sunday, Israel recorded 187,396 virus cases, with a death toll of 1,236.