Civil rights groups in Israel file petition demanding authorisation for anti-war protests

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel petitioned the Supreme Court of Justice demanding to be able to hold an anti-war protest in the city of Haifa. 

The protest was organised by the Partnership for Peace (PfP) coalition, which is made up of dozens of organisations, and calls for a captive release deal, according to Haaretz.

The petition was filed after the police refused on Tuesday to approve the protest, for the third time.

The petition states that the police's refusal to approve the protest "joins the systematic oppression of protests, even small demonstrations, that criticise the combat, its results, and demand a diplomatic solution".

The petitioners added that since the start of the war, the "police persistently refuses to approve protests that the Palestinian public wishes to hold".

The statement in the petition also said that Israeli police are "systematically harming freedom of expression and freedom of protest of they who are seen as an exception from the consensus" and "regards legitimate criticism as supporting the enemy".