Man sets himself on fire as thousands protests in Israel

Protesters try to extinguish flames from a protester after he set himself on fire

Thousands have taken part in rallies across Israel to mark last year’s massive sit-in protests against social injustice. Marches were held in Jerusalem, Haifa and Tel Aviv, where a man set himself alight but was saved and taken to a hospital.

Two separate events were held in Tel Aviv. Thousands of people participated in one of the rallies, organized by social activist Dafni Leef. That rally culminated in a large demonstration outside government offices on Kaplan Street.

The man had left a letter at the scene. "The state of Israel stole from me and robbed me. It left me helpless," it says according to the Haaretz newspaper. “Two Housing and Construction Ministry committees rejected me, even though I had a stroke.”