Israel Police report approximately 1,000-1,200 vehicles are participating in anti-government protest convoys Wednesday evening, according to journalist Dan Fisher on N12. The convoys are moving on multiple routes across the country, causing heavy traffic disruptions.
Update 18:09 — Israel Police is now estimating 1,000-1,200 vehicles are participating in the anti-government protest convoys Wednesday evening, according to journalist Dan Fisher's broadcast on N12. This official figure, based on police operational updates, comes as convoys continue to move on Highways 1, 2, 4, 7, and 443, building on the heavy traffic disruptions The Zioneer has been tracking since mid-afternoon.
As The Zioneer reported, the convoys began around 16:52 Jerusalem, when Haredi drivers initiated a slow-roll protest on Highway 1, with organizers planning to expand to 19 junctions nationwide. By 16:52, police reported traffic jams on Highways 1 and 6; by 17:00, a convoy reached Haifa's Matam Junction. Organizers had claimed over 8,000 vehicles on Route 38 alone by 17:57, while police noted deviations from agreed terms on Highway 4 at 17:26. The current police estimate of 1,000-1,200 vehicles is a separate law enforcement assessment, distinct from earlier organizer claims.
Wednesday's protest convoys form part of a broader wave of anti-government demonstrations, which, as The Zioneer reported earlier today, had been forecast to cause major disruptions in 19 cities. The protests are against the arrest of yeshiva students who do not enlist; MKs Yitzhak Goldknopf and Meir Porush of United Torah Judaism have both been reported speaking at convoy departure points.
It remains unclear how the police estimate of 1,000-1,200 vehicles reconciles with the organizers' earlier claim of over 8,000 vehicles on Route 38 alone. The number of convoys still active and the duration of the protest into the night are also open questions.
6 developments
- DevelopingHaredi protest convoy organizers claim over 8,000 vehicles on Route 38
- DevelopingPolice block Kfar Yona entrance as protest convoys head toward Prison 10
- DevelopingDrivers advised to stay home Wednesday afternoon amid slow-protest convoy
- StrongPolice: Haredi protest convoy deviating from agreed terms on Highway 4
Source and signal
- Internal intake