Shift 101 calls for release of hostages during silent demonstration - Israel News

Many donned white clothing and took part in a Shift 101 protest by sitting quietly on a closed road near the prime minister’s residence in Rehavia, Jerusalem.

Shift 101, a new protest movement that includes former hostages and mothers of hostages among its participants, reportedly aims to pressure the government to release the hostages. The movement has said it has no political ties.

At the prime minister’s residence, protesters sat on white plastic chairs, on the road and on nearby benches, and many brought blankets and umbrellas to sit on and block the sun.

A stone’s throw from the sit-in, people sat in a cafe and cars and motorcycles could drive past the protest site at the direction of the police. Such a scene seemed to emphasize the duality of life for Israelis who experienced more than a year of war, with many hostages still held captive in Gaza.

While mostly silent, some protesters spoke out to the group, giving interviews and singing songs such as the well-known Jewish song “Kol Haolam Kulo.”

Visitors at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. September 25, 2024. (credit: MIRIAM ALSTER/FLASH90)

Protesters from Shift 101 previously staged sit-ins outside the Knesset and the Prime Minister’s Office on November 4 and 7, respectively.

“Together with our bodies, we will sit, without any violence and in silence, in front of the entrances to government institutions in Jerusalem,” the group said.

The goals of the group

Describing the objectives, the protesters added that they aimed to “put heavy pressure on the government, demanding to immediately sign agreements that will lead to the return of all hostages.”

From the central location of the protest, roads were blocked in all directions and police were present on all sides of the closed roads.

Many buses operated on diversion routes, some of which had been announced to passengers in advance by the bus drivers.