Photos by Activestills, text by Haggai Matar

Over 6,000 African asylum seekers and Israeli activists hit the streets of Tel Aviv for a silent march to protest Israel’s immigration policies Saturday night. The protesters called for the release of all refugees imprisoned under the revised “anti-Infiltration Law,” which permits indefinite detention in an “open” facility, and demanded recognition of their rights as refugees.

The demonstrators marched with candles and signs while others brandished the official numbers given to them by the government. One Eritrean asylum seeker was seen walking alongside an Israeli who, as a reserve soldier, caught him at the border between Israel and Egypt.

At one point, some of the demonstrators began chanting and running, similar to last week’s protest which also took place in Tel Aviv. However, the protest organizers were able to hold hands at the front line and keep the protest calm.

The protesters marched to the Holocaust memorial in Rabin Square at the heart of Tel Aviv, where community leaders gave speeches about fleeing genocide and refugee rights.

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