Bet Shemesh Demonstrates: Keeping On Message



Movie: Sam Sokol

Last night's large (police estimates 5000) demonstration kept on message:

We want Clean Elections! We want Truth! We want Democracy! We want Justice!

We're against Fraud & Criminality!

We demand a Re-Vote!

We demand an Investigation!

Speaker after speaker kept on message.

The focus of the demonstration was not about Eli Cohen (the 'defeated' candidate), and not about Moshe Abutbol (the incumbent mayor) - it was about 'purity of elections'.
צילום: פלאש 90
Along with the national and local politicians who spoke, three (eloquent) youngsters from Beit Shemesh spoke up for Bet Shemesh. A 20-something student, introduced as "Yisrael", took out a cartoon bomb, a la Bibi at the UN, and drew a red line, standing for fraud and criminalism corrupting free and fair elections in Beit Shemesh. "Ad Kan", to this point, we are willing to be defeated fairly in an election.

But not beyond that red line.

MK Dov Lipman (along with virtually every speaker) said that this campaign is not about chareidim - and pointed out that Beit Shemesh had quietly and peacefully accepted the election on Moshe Abutbol (Shas) as mayor of Beit Shemesh in 2008. Because it was a fair and open election. The difference this time is the WAY the elections were won. By (alleged) fraud and criminality.

The mood in the crowd was positive too - the odd boo-er was hushed, and the walk-away chant of the evening, a constant thread, "Lo Mevatrim Al Beit Shemesh!" We're not giving up on Beit Shemesh!
 
The re-vote campaign has left the station and is right on track!

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