Social protest is back? Thousands of Israelis gathered Saturday evening at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square for a rally activists characterized as the opening shot of a renewed nationwide social protest. Earlier in the day, demonstrators marched from various locations across the city, before meeting at the Square for the evening's main event. Some protestors attempted to block roads in the area. At least nine people were detained at the site by police. Simultaneously, rallies were being held in Haifa, Jerusalem, Kiryat Shmona and Pardes Hana. In Haifa, hundreds of demonstrators marched while chanting "We, the majority, are returning to the street". Last summer, hundreds of thousands of Israelis hit the streets in several protests to demonstrate against Israel's skyrocketing cost of living and related issues. The protest wave prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to set up a committee dedicated to addressing the concerns raised by demonstrators.