Thousands have taken part in rallies across Israel to mark last year’s massive sit-in protests against social injustice. Marches were held in Jerusalem, Haifa and Tel Aviv, where a man set himself alight but was saved and taken to a hospital. Two separate events were held in Tel Aviv. Thousands of people participated in one of the rallies, organized by social activist Dafni Leef. That rally culminated in a large demonstration outside government offices on Kaplan Street. One of the protesters, a 52-year-old man, poured gasoline on his body and set himself on fire. People on the scene were quick enough to extinguish the fire before ambulances arrived and rushed him to Ichilov Hospital. The man was photographed eating a popsicle before he was picked up by paramedics, but medical personnel describe his condition as serious.
The man had left a letter at the scene. "The state of Israel stole from me and robbed me. It left me helpless," it says according to the Haaretz newspaper. “Two Housing and Construction Ministry committees rejected me, even though I had a stroke.” He also says that he blames "the state of Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the finance minister, Yuval Steinitz, for the humiliation that the weakened citizens go through every day, taking from the poor and giving to the rich."
No comments:
Post a Comment