Middle East News

Tel Aviv court okays evacuation of tent protest camps

Sep 18, 2011, 13:14 GMT

Tel Aviv - A Tel Aviv court Sunday authorized the evacuation of tent camps, more than nine weeks after they were set up as part of the biggest social protests in Israel's history, demonstrating against rising costs of living.

The court rejected a petition by representatives of the protest movement against the evacuation, Israel Radio reported.

Ten days ago, it had ordered the Tel Aviv municipality to stop clearing the tents until a decision was made.

Municipal workers were expected to resume cleaning the sites, at central Tel Aviv's Rothchild and Nordau boulevards, only on Wednesday afternoon, to give the protesters time to vacate voluntarily.

The court ruled the tents had become a real burden to residents living nearby.

The social protests erupted in mid-July, as a spontaneous outcry against the sky high cost of housing and of living in Israel.