JERUSALEM — On Thursday, Tel Aviv’s popular White Night festival turned, at least for the city’s mayor, Ron Hulda’i, suddenly dark.

The vigorously renewed Israeli social protest movement, which looks and feels very much like last year’s Occupy protests in the United States, has marred what is normally a highlight of early summertime, in which galleries remain open all night and writers discuss their works in cafés, turning it into a Black Nightboycotted by numerous artists.

Talk about kicking it up a notch: defying almost universal predictions that the movement, which will be one year old on July 14, was destined for nothing more significant than nostalgic remembrances, it has instead developed fresh force and a defiant new face in the past few days.

The upcoming weekend promises to be hot: mass rallies are being planned for every city on Saturday night, and if political reactions are any indication, mass participation is expected.

It all started with a tent.

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