Thousands Flock to Anti-Olmert Rally in Tel-Aviv

[Elemental666]

Protesters pour into Rabin Square to fan their frustration with army’s poor conduct during Lebanon war; Labor MK Ayalon says he hopes mass rally will bring Olmert government down

Yaakov Lappin Published: 05.03.07, 20:16 / Israel News (http://www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-3082,00.html)

Tens of thousands of people have gathered in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square on Thursday night and many more are expected to arrive as a mass rally against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3283691,00.html)gained momentum.
Speaking to Ynetnews, MK Ami Ayalon, a candidate for the Labor Party leadership, said he hopes the demonstration would help uproot the Olmert government.
"When 80-90 percent of this square is full with people calling on the government to resign the public's will should then be met with political action," he said.

http://img471.imageshack.us/img471/2073/1waip8.jpg (http://imageshack.us/)

Protesters making their way to Rabin Square (photo: Ofer Amram)

Similar sentiments were expressed by members of the political right. MK Gilad Erdan of Likud told Ynetnews it was time for the government to go, adding that he expected the Shas and Israel Our Home parties to actively join the anti-Olmert block.

Bereaved parents were the first to address the crowd.

Asnag Vishneri, the mother of a soldier who was killed in Gaza, said, “We demand a leadership that is not cut off from the nation and that isn’t led by egos and political calculations.

“I call on the government to look into the eyes of the real losers of this failed war, the bereaved families, and ask us for forgiveness.”


http://img471.imageshack.us/img471/8182/2wagy7.jpg (http://imageshack.us/)
'This is a government ruled by fear.' Tel Aviv rally (photo: Ofer Amram)

The demonstration was organized in the wake of a damning interim report on the handling of last summer's war with Hizbullah.
The Winograd Commission, appointed by Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz (http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3285433,00.html)last September, censured both leaders for their flawed leadership during the war.
People from all walks of life poured into the square to convey their frustration with the army's poor performance against Hizbullah last summer, calling for Olmert and Peretz to step down immediately.

Ohad, 18, from Beit Shean, said: "This is a government ruled by fear. They started a war because of the kidnapping but they didn't finished it properly. This is an indecisive, careless government that must go."

The war was sparked on July 12 by the kidnapping of two soldiers in a cross-border attack.

Source (http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3395520,00.html)

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[Elemental666]

Rain threatened to put a dampener on Thursday's anti-government rally at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square but as the rally kicked off at 7.p.m. and the showers subsided, the square filled up and organizers claimed that more than 150,000 people were in attendance.

Hundreds of policemen were deployed to man the event and roads were closed leading to the venue.

The organizers of the rally told The Jerusalem Post that the event was not a "one-off" but was the first of a series of activities and events whose aim was to bring down the government.

They told the Post that the organizing committee had set up a headquarters whose mission it was to force Prime Minster Ehud Olmert to resign and that they "would not give up" until their mission was accomplished.

The organizers said that they did not have "a daily agenda" but that the next event would coincide with the publication of the protocols of the Winograd testimonies of Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz and former chief of staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz.

The third in the series of events was scheduled to take place when the final report was published, in some two or three months time, they said.

The organizers went on to say that their major fear was that while hundreds of thousands of people may attend Thursday night's event, the prime minister "may survive just one night." They said that they planned to keep the momentum going, producing a snowball effect.

Head of the reservists' movement Roni Tzvangenboim told the Post that the aim of the rally and of the campaign was to force Olmert and Peretz to quit and that if they refuse, at least the MKs around them would "feel the pressure of being part of a bad government" and try to act to overthrow them."

"We saw over the past few days what pressure can do," said Tzvangenboim. "We saw what happened to Eitan Cabel and other ministers and to [Foreign Minister] Tzipi Livni before she lost her nerve."

Tzvangenboim said that he and his fellow reservists had nothing against Kadima and Labor, but that "if there are elections, then so be it."

"What we are asking for is responsible leadership," exclaimed Tzvangenboim."

"We'll carry on with whatever we have to do until Olmert and Peretz resign," he said, adding, "You don't stop when going forward; we learned this in the army."

Bradley and Tali, a married couple visiting from Australia told the Post that they had attended the rally because they were worried about how the rest of the world viewed Israel.

"It amazes me the way things work in Israel," said Bradley. "In Australia we have a different system where there is more attention to propriety and responsibility. If you do something wrong you must resign. I'm not talking about getting a parking ticket but something serious. People must have confidence in you."

During the rally, a minute silence in honor of the soldiers who fell in the Lebanon war was interrupted by a shrilled scream by a man who said: "May it soon happen to you Olmert."

MK Ami Ayalon, who is running for the Labor party leadership, told reporters at the rally that he was not there to deliver a speech but "as a citizen."

http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/7117/92173758wy8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Source (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1178198605695&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull)


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[GiladS]

At least 120,000 people rallied Thursday night.

http://www.hnn.co.il/images/albums/2394_37694.jpg

http://www.hnn.co.il/images/albums/2394_37695.jpg

[themacedonian]

There was a Velvet, Orange, Cedar revolutions.

Which colour is this now? Or it does not apply.

The 50 man rally in Moscow got more media coverage that this one. (just an observation)

[Player]

Which colour is this now? Or it does not apply.

White and blue I guess ;)



The 50 man rally in Moscow got more media coverage that this one. (just an observation)

The only thing media, especially in Europe is interested to show about Israel, is the conflict with Palestinians.