Court Cancels Fines on Protesters in Lockdown Breach

Israel’s High Court struck a retroactive blow for anti-government protesters on Sunday, as it ruled that fines for exceeding crowd limits during the second lockdown will be canceled, The Times of Israel reported.

The court determined that the decree restricting people to one kilometer (three-fifths of a mile) from their homes) was unlawful. Furthermore, the court said that the government may not impose such restrictions in the future.

The rule lasted two weeks between September 30 and October 13, and was the target of petitions filed with the High Court by several anti-government groups. The government subsequently backed down, terminating the emergency measure after the initial two-week period.

During the restrictions, protests were held in smaller numbers in residential areas, rather than the large rallies that had been taking place mostly outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Yerushalayim.