Thousands defy lockdown as they call for Netanyahu to resign

Thousands of Israelis have protested across the country for the 15th week in a row, flouting a new law meant to curb anti-government demonstrations during a coronavirus lockdown.

The street protests on Saturday and into Sunday, just three days after parliament approved an edict to limit the scope of such demonstrations, kept pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign for his handling of the coronavirus crisis, as well as allegations of corruption, which he denies.

Netanyahu is on trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He has denied wrongdoing.

Israeli law does not force a prime minister to step down after being indicted, sparking outrage and protests at a time when the country also grappled with the pandemic.

The new law bans Israelis from holding demonstrations more than one kilometre (about half a mile) from their homes and forces stricter social distancing, a measure the government said was aimed at curbing COVID-19 infections.