Police arrested 62 people overnight Thursday during an illegal demonstration that quickly turned into a major riot and an invasion of Metzudat Ze’ev (Ze’ev’s fortress, named after Ze’ev Jabotinsky), the Likud party’s headquarters on King George Street in Tel Aviv. The rioters blocked major thoroughfares, lit bonfires, and broke into the Likud party’s offices.
The rioters chained themselves to the building’s steps, declaring their intention to stay in place to mark 600 days since the hostages were abducted. In the evening, a bonfire was lit on the road outside Ze’ev Fortress. Around 10:00 PM, police began forcibly removing the protesters.
מפגינים פרצו מחסומי משטרה בדרך לכניסה האחורית למצודת זאב ומנסים להכנס למקום. חלק מהמפגינים מתיישבים על המדרגות pic.twitter.com/1ZB73YCsWs
— Bar Peleg (@bar_peleg) May 28, 2025
By Thursday morning, 40 of the 62 detainees had been questioned, with most expected to be released on conditions, while a few will be brought in for a remanded detention. The suspects are accused of trespassing and causing damage to property.
The rioters stormed the Likud offices, damaging equipment and disabling security cameras. They also entered the office of Likud Chairman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After police declared the demonstration unlawful, the protesters defied the order and remained barricaded inside the building.
עשרות עצורים במצודת זאב במחאה לא אלימה למען שחרור החטופים, אחרי אלימות מטורפת של יס”מ ת”א וחלק מהקצינים.
גם עכשיו ממשיכים בקריאות לשחרור החטופים, עד שכולם יחזרו!???? pic.twitter.com/TIbLAy1qDt
— Liron Samuels לירון סמואלס (@LironSamuels) May 28, 2025
Following the unrest and violence directed at police, authorities carried out mass arrests and used force to disperse the demonstrators. Two officers were injured during the clashes and were evacuated for medical treatment; one sustained a broken hand.
Police sources told News 14: “It was a difficult night. There was violence and verbal abuse—we had to physically remove people from the seventh floor, being extremely careful not to hurt them. This was not an easy operation. We’re doing our job, but ultimately, it’s the courts that release these offenders, either because they see no threat or in the name of free expression. These protesters come armed with a well-organized network of lawyers and photographers, and they know how to escape accountability. Without a comprehensive shift, we’ll keep seeing these scenes repeated.”
ערב רב!! איזו גזירה נגזרה עלינו מאז יציאת מצרים. ליבי עם השוטרים שאמורים לפנות את הפושעים הקפלניסטים שפרצו למצודת זאב בת״א. החטופים הם רק תירוץ עבור המפגינים הדוחים שמחרבים את חוסנה של המדינה.
אל דאגה, קרן בר מנחם ראשת מח״ש תדאג למצות את הדין עם השוטרים.
לראות את הסרטונים ולחוש… pic.twitter.com/3arSzxeTOg— טלי גוטליב (@TallyGotliv) May 28, 2025
The riot was orchestrated by four prominent anarchists—Shakma Bresler, Moshe Redman, Yaya Fink, and Ami Dror—who urged their followers to join a similar riot on Thursday in Rabin Square, just a few hundred yards away. Notably, these anarchist-led events, which used to draw tens of thousands before October 7, 2023, now typically attract only around a thousand participants. As a result, organizers appear to escalate the level of violence in an effort to gain attention.
