The Tel Aviv Municipality announced earlier this week it has renamed a major intersection in the city as “Democracy Square,” in honor of pro-democracy protesters who have been demonstrating there for several months.
The Azrieli-Kaplan intersection in central Tel Aviv has become the hotspot of rallies against the government’s planned judicial overhaul, with protesters gathering there for the past 28 weeks.
“We want to acknowledge the tireless resolve of those who have gathered here for weeks in the spirit of democracy,” said Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, who personally unveiled the renamed square.
“We hope that in the future… this will serve as a tangible reminder of a period in our nation’s history when thousands of people came together with determination and perseverance to fight for the values outlined in our Declaration of Independence.”
Channel 12 reported earlier that protesters requested several times for the intersection to be renamed. But due to the municipality’s strict policy on renaming of streets, that request had been initially denied, and was only approved following Huldai’s personal intervention.
The intersection has overtaken the Yitzhak Rabin Square as the favored protest location for Israelis in recent months due to — partly — the ongoing infrastructure project in the area. The new Democracy Square, meanwhile, is situated near several government institutions, a military base, and the city’s main entranceway.