PHOTOS: African asylum seekers renew protests with sit-in

Activestills By Activestills February 5, 2014 | Edit

Protest leaders vow to continue their struggle until a solution is found. Some 1,000 maintain sit-in at Levinsky Park.

Photos by: Oren Ziv, Tali Mayer, Keren Manor, Yotam Ronen / Activestills.org

African asylum seekers staging a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 2, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers staging a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 2, 2014. (Activestills.org)

 

A renewed asylum seeker protest entered its fourth day on Wednesday as 1,000 African asylum seekers maintained a sit-in at south Tel Aviv’s Levinsky Park.

“The struggle didn’t stop,” Walla News cited Darfuri asylum seeker and protest leader Mutasim Ali as saying, “it will continue until there is a solution.”

Things are only getting worse for asylum seekers since the protests began, he explained, citing the large number who have been sent to Israel’s ‘Holot’ detention center. Others fear they too will soon be summoned.

Read also: Photo diary from inside Israel’s ‘Holot’ detention center

Acknowledging that change will not come overnight, Ali vowed, “we will continue until there is a solution, and it’s clear to us that there will be one.”

So asylum seekers will remain in Levinsky Park, he added, “and if necessary, we have big plans.”

The latest protest comes several weeks after tens of thousands of African asylum seekers took the streets to protest Israel’s policies toward them, namely indefinite detention and a refusal to individually examine most of their asylum claims.

Read: ‘The origins and politics of Israel’s refugee debate’
Read +972’s full coverage of asylum seekers in Israel

African asylum seekers staging a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 2, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers staging a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling on the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 2, 2014. (Activestills.org)
An African asylum seeker talking during an open-mic session during a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 2, 2014. (Activestills.org)
An African asylum seeker talking during an open-mic session during a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling on the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 2, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers sleep on the first night of a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 2, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers sleep on the first night of a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling on the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 2, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers wake up on the second day of a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers wake up on the second day of a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling on the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers wake up on the second day of a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers wake up on the second day of a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling on the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers hand our sandwiches on the first day of a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 2, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers hand our sandwiches on the first day of a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling on the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 2, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers sleep on the second night of a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers sleep on the second night of a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling on the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers try to warm together on the second night of a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers try to warm together on the second night of a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling on the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers watch an Activestills photo exhibit on the second night of a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers view an Activestills photo exhibit on the second night of a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers watch an Activestills photo exhibit on the second night of a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers watch an Activestills photo exhibit on the second night of a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers wake up on the second day of a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers wake up on the second day of a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling on the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers wake up on the third day of a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 4, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers wake up on the third day of a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling on the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 4, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers wake up on the second day of a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers wake up on the second day of a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling on the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 3, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers wake up on the third day of a sit-in at Levinsky park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling to the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 4, 2014. (Activestills.org)
African asylum seekers wake up on the third day of a sit-in at Levinsky Park in Tel Aviv, protesting against the new detention center, calling on the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, February 4, 2014. (Activestills.org)

 

Activestills

Activestills is a collective of Israeli, Palestinian, and international photographers, united by a conviction that photography is a vehicle for political and social change. We believe in the power of images to shape public attitudes and to raise awareness on issues that are generally absent from public discourse. We view ourselves as part of the struggle against all forms of oppression, racism, and violations of the basic right to freedom. Our images are frequently published by many leading human rights, development, and advocacy agencies, as well as by alternative and leading news media. To stay updated on our latest images, like Activestills on Facebook or visit our Flickr photostream.

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