A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights

At the start of this week, African asylum seekers in Israel began a ‘Strike for Freedom,’ not showing up to their places of work and taking to the streets to make their demands: an end to detentions of asylum seekers and that the Israeli government individually examine their asylum claims. Tens of thousands marched to central Tel Aviv, foreign embassies and staged a protest outside the Knesset, ultimately declaring the strike open-ended.

Read +972’s full coverage of African asylum seekers in Israel

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
An African asylum seeker holds a poster calling for a three-day strike as asylum seekers gather by thousands in Levinsky Park in south Tel Aviv, Israel, to protest against a new detention center and to call on the Israeli government to recognize their refugee rights, January 4, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
Some 30,000 thousands African asylum seekers participate in a protest calling to free all African refugees imprisoned in Israeli prisons and detention centers and calling for the recognition of all refugees rights, Tel Aviv, Israel, on January 5, 2014. The protest was the first event in a three-day general strike of African asylum seekers in Israel, and is the biggest African refugee protest in Israel’s history. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
Around 30,000 thousands African asylum seekers participate in a protest calling to free all African refugees imprisoned in Israeli prisons and detention centers and calling for the recognition of all refugees rights, Tel Aviv, Israel, on January 5, 2013. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
African refugees’ reflections on a restaurant window as an Israeli man eats. Some 30,000 thousands African asylum seekers participated in a protest calling to free all African refugees imprisoned in Israeli prisons and detention centers and calling for the recognition of all refugees rights, Tel Aviv, Israel, on January 5, 2013. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
African refugees sit with their backs to a sign reading, “Tel Aviv,” during a demonstration in front of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) offices in Tel Aviv, Israel. January 6, 2014. Around 1,500 African refugees and supporters protested in front of the UNHCR offices, calling the agency to support their struggle against Israel’s asylum policies. Some 20,000 people participated in the second day of the ‘Strike for Freedom,’ demonstrating in front of 10 different embassies, calling on the international community to support their struggle. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
African refugees march in the streets of Tel Aviv during the second day of the ‘Strike For Freedom,’ Israel, January 6, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
More than 10,000 African refugees and supporters participate in the main demonstration in front of the American embassy, calling for support for their struggle against Israel’s asylum policies. Tel Aviv, Israel. January 6, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
Over 10,000 African refugees and supporters participate in the main demonstration in front of the American embassy, calling for support for their struggle against Israel’s asylum policies. Tel Aviv, Israel. January 6, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
More than 10,000 African refugees and supporters participate in the main demonstration in front of the American embassy, calling for support for their struggle against Israel’s asylum policies. Tel Aviv, Israel. January 6, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
Around 1,500 African refugees and supporters protest in front of the UNHCR offices, calling the organization to support their struggle against Israel’s asylum policies. Tel Aviv, Israel. January 6, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
Around 2,500 African refugees and supporters protest in front of the Ethiopian embassy, which also represents the African Union in Israel, calling for support for their struggle against Israel’s asylum policies. Tel Aviv, Israel. January 6, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
Around 500 African refugees and supporters protest in front of the Italian embassy, calling for support for their struggle against Israel’s asylum policies. Tel Aviv, Israel. January 6, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
Around 1,500 African refugees and supporters protest in front of the Canadian embassy, calling for support for their struggle against Israel’s asylum policies. Tel Aviv, Israel. January 6, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
More than 10,000 African refugees and supporters participate in the main demonstration in front of the American embassy, calling for support for their struggle against Israel’s asylum policies. Tel Aviv, Israel. January 6, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
More than 10,000 African refugees and supporters participate in the main demonstration in front of the American embassy, calling for support for their struggle against Israel’s asylum policies. Tel Aviv, Israel. January 6, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
More than 10,000 African refugees and supporters participate in the main demonstration in front of the American embassy, calling for support for their struggle against Israel’s asylum policies. Tel Aviv, Israel. January 6, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
More than 10,000 African refugees and supporters participate in the main demonstration in front of the American embassy, calling for support for their struggle against Israel’s asylum policies. Tel Aviv, Israel. January 6, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
More than 10,000 African refugees and supporters participate in the main demonstration in front of the American embassy, calling for support for their struggle against Israel’s asylum policies. Tel Aviv, Israel. January 6, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
More than 10,000 African refugees and supporters gather in Levinsky Park in south Tel Aviv for an ‘open mic’ meeting on the third day of ‘Strike For Freedom’. Israel, January 7, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
More than 10,000 African refugees and supporters gather in Levinsky Park in south Tel Aviv for an ‘open mic’ meeting in the third day of ‘Strike For Freedom’. Israel, January 7, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
More than 10,000 African refugees and supporters gather in Levinsky Park in south Tel Aviv for an ‘open mic’ meeting in the third day of ‘Strike For Freedom’. Israel, January 7, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
More than 10,000 African refugees and supporters gather in Levinsky Park in south Tel Aviv for an ‘open mic’ meeting in the third day of ‘Strike For Freedom’. Israel, January 7, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
Leaders of African asylum seekers strike hold a press conference in Tel Aviv on January 7, 2014, where they announce that the strike will go on until further notice.(photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
Thousands of African asylum seekers wait to board buses heading towards Jerusalem to continue their protest in front of the Israeli Knesset, Tel Aviv, Israel, January 8, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
Thousands of African asylum seekers wait to board buses heading towards Jerusalem to continue their protest in front of the Israeli Knesset, Tel Aviv, Israel, January 8, 2014. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
Thousands of African asylum seekers participate in a protest in front of the Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem on January 8, 2014. As the strike entered its fourth day, committees announced that it would go on indefinitely until further notice. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
Thousands of African asylum seekers participate in a protest in front of the Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem on January 8, 2014. As the strike entered its fourth day, committees announced that it would go on indefinitely until further notice. (photo: Activestills.org)

 

 

A week in photos: African asylum seekers strike for their rights
Thousands of African asylum seekers participate in a protest in front of the Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem on January 8, 2014. As the strike entered its fourth day, committees announced that it would go on indefinitely until further notice. (photo: Activestills.org)

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