Left-wing demonstrators blocked entrances and exits to the Haredi city of Bnei Brak on Friday, saying they were protesting road blockades by Haredi activists. Video footage documented scuffles with local residents as activists prevented traffic, including buses, from passing through. Police did not use force and blocked a main street in the city.
Left-wing activists blocked the entrances and exits to Bnei Brak on Friday afternoon, escalating a day of heightened tensions over IDF enlistment equality. The demonstrators said they were protesting Haredi road blockades. Video footage from the scene, documented by photographer Hanokh Fogel, showed scuffles between the activists and local residents. Buses and other vehicles were prevented from entering or leaving the city. Police at the scene did not use batons or force against the demonstrators, and instead blocked a main street in the city, redirecting traffic. No arrests have been reported.
The protest comes after a week of escalating demonstrations over the draft law for Haredi yeshiva students. On Wednesday, Haredi activists blocked major highways and halted train services across central Israel. On Thursday, the 'Mothers on the Frontline' group threatened to block Haredi cities. Earlier on Friday, a clash broke out between Haredi locals and anti-draft protesters at the city's entrance. The Zioneer first reported at 13:32 Jerusalem that secular protesters were blocking Kahaneman Street, with scuffles breaking out. By the same time, the 'Mothers on the Frontline' group was identified as the protesters at the entrance. The current dispatch confirms the blockade expanded to all city entrances and exits, with video evidence of vehicle obstruction and confrontation.
As The Zioneer reported on Friday, the Haredi public warned it would not stay silent over the planned blockade, responding to the 'Mothers on the Frontline' threat issued Thursday. Background context from Thursday shows the group warned 'blockades will be met with blockades.' The broader backdrop includes Wednesday's Haredi highway blockades and the Knesset's advancement of the draft bill.
What remains open: No arrests have been reported, and it is unclear whether police will take enforcement action later. The duration of the blockade and any further escalation from either side are not yet known.
8 developments
- DevelopingProtesters against anti-draft-evader demonstrations leave Bnei Brak
- DevelopingBnei Brak council member Yaakov Vider condemns anti-draft protesters blocking entrances
- DevelopingHaredi public warns it will not stay silent over planned Bnei Brak road blockade
- DevelopingExtremist Haredi activists block entrance to Beit Lid military prison
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