Permit for an Antiwar Protest in Haifa: A Saga

Demonstration in Tel Aviv against the war, May 24, 2025. Photo: Zohar Bar Yehuda, "Protest Documentation," WhatsApp

The coalition "Partnership for Peace" submitted a request to the Haifa police for a permit to hold a march and demonstration on Saturday, May 31 under the slogan "Enough of war, yes to peace."  

After right-wing groups got wind of the protest, they began to put pressure on the mayor of Haifa to intervene and prohibit it from taking place—which is illegal. After we sent a letter to the mayor reminding him that he is not allowed to interfere in decisions regarding demonstrations, the mayor backed down. However, nearly two weeks had passed in the meantime, and “Partnership for Peace” had not yet received a response from the police regarding the permit for the protest, in spite of repeated follow-ups, a preliminary agreement from the police regarding the route, and even a meeting with the Haifa station commander.  

In an appeal to the Haifa district commander and the Carmel region commander, Sivan Tahel, director of the Freedom of Protest and Expression Department, noted that since the beginning of the war the police have routinely delayed responding to requests to hold demonstrations or public events against the war until the very last moment—sometimes just hours before the event. This systematic policy of postponement, which is not limited to Haifa, prevents organizers from being able to prepare properly, consider alternatives, or turn to legal authorities within a reasonable time. Tahel noted that the organization had already petitioned the Supreme Court in a similar case, when the police delayed responding to a request for a protest permit until the final hours before the demonstration was meant to take place. The police granted the permit only after the petition was filed, and the court ordered the police to pay the costs associated with the delay. 

In the end, the Haifa police granted the permit for the demonstration, but imposed a number of conditions, some of which were unusual and highly unreasonable. In response, ACRI submitted a third petition on May 27, 2025, emphasizing that the police are required to refrain from directly or indirectly influencing the content of the protest or the political and ideological affiliation of the organizers and participants. We demanded that the demonstration on May 31 be allowed to proceed in accordance with the conditions that were agreed upon with the organizers and without restrictions on the content of the messages during the demonstration. In response to ACRI's petition, the Haifa Police walked back many of the conditions they attempted to impose on the protest, allowing the protest to take place as planned.

ACRI’s petition, May 26, 2025 (Heb) 

ACRI’s petition, May 27, 2025 (Heb) 

Response from the Haifa Police, May 28, 2025 (Heb)