Israeli police reopened the Ayalon Highway to traffic after detaining eight people who had blocked the major arterial road, according to police. The incident is part of ongoing Haredi protests against draft-related arrests.
Israeli police reopened the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv to traffic at approximately 18:58 Thursday, after detaining eight people who had blocked the northbound lanes. The police described the detainees as "lawbreakers." The arrests, first reported by N12 footage at 18:38, followed an earlier blockage on the same highway whose identity was initially unclear.
By 18:38, as The Zioneer reported, protesters demanding a state commission of inquiry had blocked the northbound lanes; the identity of the group that set the second, now-resolved blockage remains unconfirmed by police. This Thursday evening incident follows a series of confrontations this week: on Tuesday, June 9, police cleared disorder in Jerusalem, and on Wednesday, June 10, reopened roads after Haredi protests there. On Thursday, June 11, police used a water cannon and stun grenades to reopen Highway 6, and organizers called off that protest; later that day, all highways and trains resumed after two hours of disruption.
Police have not detailed the identities of the eight detainees or their specific charges. The overall protest movement, as The Zioneer has reported in recent weeks, continues over military draft-enforcement arrests, with demonstrators also calling for a state commission of inquiry.
7 developments
- StrongAll highways reopen, trains resume after two hours of protest disruption
- DevelopingPolice say Ayalon Highway procession is licensed, not a blockade
- StrongPolice use water cannon, stun grenades to reopen Highway 6; organizers call off protest
- DevelopingPolice clear Haredi protesters, reopen Jerusalem roads
Source and signal
- Internal intake