Police ban photos of captives, Gaza kids at protest: Israeli media
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Israeli police reverse initial restrictions on anti-war protesters in Tel Aviv, who were briefly barred from displaying signs referencing Gaza children, captives, or using terms like "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing."
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People take part in a protest demanding the immediate release of captives held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, on April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Israeli occupation police have reversed initial attempts to restrict anti-war protesters in Tel Aviv from displaying signs referencing Gaza, captives, or using terms such as "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing," following backlash from organizers and inquiries from the media, Israeli media reported on Monday.
The move was initially outlined in a letter sent on Sunday to protest organizers, which was first obtained by Haaretz. The letter outlined conditions for approving the demonstration, including a temporary ban on "hostage signs" and images of children or babies from Gaza, raising immediate concerns over Israeli anti-war protest censorship.
Protest restrictions prompt outcry in Tel Aviv
Haaretz reported that organizers accused the police of censorship and overreach, arguing that the imposed restrictions were politically motivated. “The police’s actions show that it is a political organization,” protest organizers told the Israeli website. The event was planned as part of a broader wave of Gaza war demonstrations across the Israeli occupation entity.
According to the same letter, occupation police also sought to prevent demonstrators from displaying signs with the words "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing".
Protest organizers linked the protest restrictions to broader government actions, criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to collapse a ceasefire deal, which they say stalled the release of captives held by Hamas and caused more civilian deaths in Gaza.
After Haaretz contacted police about the protest letter, law enforcement officials stated that updated instructions had been sent to the organizers. The revised guidance did not include the previous restrictions on sign content, signaling a backtrack on protest censorship.
Crackdown on protests
Earlier this month, Israeli police violently dispersed a protest in Haifa on April 10, tearing down banners and arresting several demonstrators who had gathered to condemn the ongoing war on Gaza, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported. Palestinian media outlets reported that Israeli forces arrested 23 protesters after giving them only a few minutes to disperse.
Protests have erupted in different parts of occupied Palestine, protesting against the ongoing war on Gaza and the delayed return of captives.
Another protest held this month on April 8 took place in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to urge the government to secure a deal for the release of all captives held by Hamas in Gaza as Netanyahu met with Trump in Washington.
“How can you sleep at night when you are abandoning them?” asked former captive Ilana Gritzewsky, adding that "Israel has to put forward an initiative on the table to return all the hostages in one go, not in stages, not in groups, we want everybody now."
The protesters also demonstrated against Netanyahu and his government, as he continues to wage war on Gaza and delays a ceasefire agreement that could see the release of the rest of the Israeli captives.
