This is what a socially-distanced protest looks like

Everyone stood six feet apart.
 By 
Shannon Connellan
 on 

In this time of social distancing, standing in a large crowd of protesters seems unthinkable, like a distant memory.

But more than 2,000 people did exactly that on Sunday in Tel Aviv, Israel, standing six feet apart (two metres) in Rabin Square to protest actions taken by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the coronavirus pandemic.

As reported by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the "Black Flag" demonstrations were staged in response to the government's policies to quell the spread of COVID-19. These include civilian phone tracking, which protesters say is anti-democratic.


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According to U.S. news site Axios, police marked places on the ground in Rabin Square so protesters knew where to stand at a safe distance to avoid the potential spread of the virus, and protesters were provided with masks by organisers.

Photos of the event are truly remarkable, a strange and undeniable sign of the times we're in.

Mashable Image
Protesters, keeping two metres from each other in order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, gather to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 19, 2020. Credit: Daniel Bar On / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Mashable Image
Police marked places on the ground for protesters to stand on. Credit: JACK GUEZ / AFP via Getty Images
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Protesters were provided with masks by organisers. Credit: Nir Keidar / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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The top-down view is quite something. Credit: JACK GUEZ / AFP via Getty Images
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Strange times. Credit: Nir Keidar / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
A photo portrait of a journalist with blonde hair and a band t-shirt.
Shannon Connellan
UK Editor

Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror.

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