Israeli social protest leaders plan to hold mass rallies on Saturday night, in an attempt to reignite a summer protest movement that brought thousands to the streets in cities across Israel.
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| A record estimated 430,000 in September 2011 |
Two months on, protesters say the Israeli government has ignored them and are urging tens of thousands to attend a demonstration in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square under the banner "Back to the Streets," the Israeli daily The Jerusalem Post said Friday.
Rallies will also be held in other cities, including Jerusalem and Haifa, the Tel Aviv-based newspaper Haaretz reported.
Israel's National Student Union has bowed out of organizing Saturday's march, the paper said, adding that the union head asked the media not to focus on his rift with other protest leaders, and that he would still attend the march even though he was denied a platform to speak.
The movement kicked off in late July as activists set up protest tents in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to challenge unaffordable housing.
Protests attracted a growing range of causes, with analysts saying the rallies tapped into widespread frustrations over a growing gap between rich and poor in the country.
Protests attracted a growing range of causes, with analysts saying the rallies tapped into widespread frustrations over a growing gap between rich and poor in the country.
For the main part, protesters steered clear of commenting on Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands and the building of Jewish-only homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Israel's government set up a committee to examine protesters' economic demands, and approved the outline of proposed reforms in early October.
Protesters will call on Saturday for Israel to cancel next year's national budget and re-launch a "social budget" through popular consultation The Jerusalem Post reported.
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