Tent Protest Grows

rjstreets

The “Tent Protest’ began in Tel Aviv when a group of young people

camped out in the city square to draw attention to the high price of housing.

Sunday night tent protesters took to the Jerusalem streets.

The demonstrators carried tents

and signs along a route heading towards the Knesset.

Many chanted loudly,

 a few protesters carried Israeli flags.

After stopping briefly to block the intersection at Ruppin Street,

the march headed up the hill towards the Rose Garden to set up the tents,

all the time with police escort.

The price of housing in Jerusalem has risen steadily for a number of reasons,

 new construction is for luxury units, impossible to afford on an Israeli salary.

It is a problem for not only for young people,

everyone is affected by the serious housing shortage.

 

 

Ziggy Marley in Zion

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On a warm but pleasant July night,

 Ziggy Marley, son of the late Reggae singer Bob Marley,

 defied those who called for him to boycott Israel

and performed with other musicians in Jerusalem’s Gan Sacher, Sacher Park.

The huge stage took days to build

and by concert time much of the park and its paths were closed to the public.

Security was tighter than usual at this event,

which made  jumping the fence to crash the concert a bad idea for these two fellows.

Inside were hundreds of mostly young music fans,

but the music could be heard outside the entrance, located on top of the hill,

at the other end of the park,

and by people all around the neighborhood until late that night.

There was plenty to drink,

while large screens projected

the performances to the crowd.

No chairs were in sight… but plenty of hair was.

Instead of the usual meal of a sandwich wrapped in plastic,

a grill was set up to feed the police on duty.

Meanwhile,

 Paul Simon was performing in Ramat Gan and got all the media attention.

On the way home I passed a really big crab making its way to the concert.

He or she must be a loyal Reggae fan, maybe a Rastafarian?

With so many Jerusalem cultural events how can you be crabby…

maybe if you live in the neighborhood and do not appreciate the music?

Summer in the Shuk

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In the Machane Yehudah Market, The Shuk,

the piles of fresh garlic of spring,

have been replaced by the piles of summer fruit.

The old and narrow Jerusalem streets in the area are often crowded,

but on Monday nights in July, the crowds

have come for the Balabasta Cultural Festival.

As the sun sets the celebration begins.

Numerous musical performances,

live bands,

soloists

and groups,

 all performed in the alleyways and corners of The Shuk.

Games were available

and many performers entertained the crowds for free,

but this mime had a sign requesting a coin to start his dance moves.

Artists painted in many locations,

adding more color,

to the market event.

Well known for its fresh food,

there were actually some people who were in The Shuk to do their shopping.

If you could get close to the displays,

there were bargains.

The Balabasta Festival has grown from last year.

Five years ago The Shuk was empty, a scary and dark place at night,

now it is filled with people and roses.