Residents of rocket-beaten South congregate in Tel Aviv to demonstrate, demanding to be able to live in peace and quiet.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators from all over the country, including whole families from the South, kids and pets in tow, filled Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square Thursday night to show solidarity with the towns near the Gaza border that have been constantly hit by rockets and mortar shells.

Protesters carried signs with slogans like “We won’t be quiet,” “Gaza border residents are Israeli citizens, too!” “Even one rocket is too many,” “We trust the IDF” and “Conquer Gaza now!” They chanted “The nation demands justice” and “We love the IDF.”

One sign in English quoted the film The Good, The Bad and The Ugly in an apparent reference to the recent spate of on-and-off cease-fires: “If you want to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.”

Meanwhile, rock bands that hail from Sderot – such as Teapacks and Knesiyat Hasechel – played for the crowd, as did pop singer Keren Peles.

It was the night of the Kassam generation.

Thousands of teenagers from the South, wearing red shirts representing the Color Red rocket-warning sirens they have heard their entire lives, were a major presence in Rabin Square. Several gave speeches during the rally.

“Is it normal for a teenage girl to get up in front of thousands of people and talk about living under the threat of missiles?” Tom Katz, 16, a third-generation resident of Nahal Oz, asked on stage. “Did you know that an antitank missile was shot at our school bus?” Continue reading