At the Carmel market in Tel Aviv you can buy 5 fresh bagels for 10 shekels. But at Rabin square that evening the same 10 shekels would only buy you two stale bagels. This is because at the protest only one vendor was selling bagels, hence they had a monopoly. The bagel seller is not the only one taking advantage of a lack of competition.
In June, Israelis began a boycott of cottage cheese because the three producers of the staple were charging unreasonable prices. The boycott worked, but protests against the high prices of retail goods, unaffordable rent costs, government corruption and lack of social justice continue.
While protests are common in Israel, these have been different. The movement is far more peaceful than usual with an alliance between religious and secular, Jew and Arab. The majority of demonstrators are the employed middle-class who cannot afford to live in Tel Aviv even with a decent wage. The protests are related to others seen around Europe and some have even suggested inspired by the Arab Spring.
The photo below was taken during the day and shows the posters advertising the rally. It starts with the "slogan" of the movement being Ha-Am Doresh Tzedek Chevrati - The Nation Demands Social Justice.
There were supposedly 20,000 people the night we were there, which is impressive but well short of the 400,000 strong crowd at the peak in September.
This Israeli flag hangs at the end of Rothschild Boulevard, which during the summer housed tens of thousands in tents.
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