Live music returned to Israel on Thursday, as over 3,000 people gathered in a park in Tel Aviv for an event called “Behind the Scenes: an Assembly of Solidarity”. Though technically billed as a protest, and not a concert, the event featured a dozen prominent Israeli artists performing on a large stage.
Much like in America, Israel has been on a COVID-19 lockdown since mid-March, which has effectively shuttered the entertainment industry. Yesterday’s event served as a protest to encourage the government to reopen live events, according to Billboard.
In order to stage such a large-scale mass gathering, organizers of the event exploited a loophole in Israel’s health regulations allowing for contained protests. Upon entering the park, attendees were asked to wear a face mask and keep six feet apart. Those social-distancing practices were quickly disregard, however, as video and photos from the event show many people, without face masks, dancing in close proximity. See for yourself below.
To date, Israel has 16,680 reported cases of COVID-19 and 279 confirmed deaths.
חוזרים לשטיבלך במאה שערים, הזייה בריבוע pic.twitter.com/s85sYX35E3
— איתי בלומנטל Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) May 21, 2020
