History
Until the early 1990s, the square was used on Israel's Independence Day, as a public exhibition ground for IDF field units (mostly armor and heavy artillery). The square has also been the site of many political rallies and demonstrations, including the September 1982 protest by 400,000 demonstrators against Israel's role in the Sabra and Shatila Massacre.
Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, was assassinated at the conclusion of a peace rally at the site on November 4, 1995. In the days following the event, thousands of Israelis gathered at the square to commemorate Rabin. The young people who came to mourn Rabin were dubbed the "Candles Youth" (Hebrew: נוער הנרות, Noar HaNerot) after the many yahrzeit candles they lit. A segment of the graffiti they drew upon the nearby walls has been preserved.
A memorial stands on the spot where Rabin was assassinated (at the northeast corner of the square, below City Hall). Part of the memorial is a small, open legacy wall for Rabin. Near the south end of the square is a memorial sculpture designed by Israeli artist Yigal Tumarkin commemorating the Holocaust.
Read more about this topic: Rabin Square
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