Israeli police declared a protest on Highway 1 unlawful after Haredi demonstrators sat on the road displaying yellow patches. Video circulating from the scene shows protesters narrowly avoiding being run over by a truck. The protest follows a wave of Haredi demonstrations across central Israel over the past hour, with train cancellations and heavy crowds at Tel Aviv's train station.
Police declared the protest unlawful at 18:20 Jerusalem, announcing a dispersal operation. The demonstrators are blocking the main artery connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, triggering significant traffic disruptions. The protest is the latest in a series of Haredi actions this evening; earlier, protesters had blocked roads and nearly collided with a truck. Train services were cancelled between central stations due to track blockades elsewhere, leading to crowding at Tel Aviv's main station, as reporter Hili Keren (N12) documented at 18:20.
The protest follows a pattern reported by The Zioneer: at 18:07, police had used stun grenades against protesters on the same highway, and by 18:17, violent clashes with drivers were reported. The current demonstration involves similar tactics — road sitting and yellow patch displays. What remains unclear is the specific grievance behind tonight's actions, though context items suggest links to opposition to arrests of protesters and draft-related disputes.
3 developments
- DevelopingPolice declare Haredi protest illegal, move to disperse rioters
- DevelopingPolice forcibly clear protesters blocking road in Israel
- StrongHaredi protesters block highways, halt trains across central Israel
- StrongPolice use water cannon, stun grenades to reopen Highway 6; organizers call off protest
Source and signal
- Internal intake