Israel Police warned Wednesday afternoon that vehicles in the Haredi slow-roll protest convoy are moving slower than agreed with organizers, and that enforcement will begin if the pace does not increase. Separately, the engine of a vehicle carrying Deputy Minister Israel Eichler was reported destroyed by fire during the same convoy, according to police statements and media reports.
Israel Police issued a warning Wednesday afternoon, just before 17:00 Jerusalem, that the Haredi slow-roll protest convoy is moving slower than the pace agreed with organizers and that enforcement will begin if the pace does not increase. The warning, first reported by The Zioneer, came as the convoy continued to cause widespread traffic disruptions on Highways 1, 2, 4, and 6. Separately, the engine of a vehicle carrying Deputy Minister Israel Eichler (United Torah Judaism) caught fire during the same convoy, according to police statements and media reports. It is unclear if the fire and the police warning are directly related.
As The Zioneer has tracked since earlier Wednesday, the slow-roll protest began with convoys departing from 19 cities starting at 16:00 Jerusalem, heading toward Prison 10 near Beit Lid. By 17:00 Jerusalem, the convoy was reported reaching Haifa's Matam Junction. Police had earlier accused organizers of violating pre-agreed traffic coordination, warning of heavy congestion on Highways 1, 2, 4, and 6. The warnings escalated in subsequent bulletins: by 21:32 Jerusalem, police stated that vehicle movement was slower than agreed and threatened enforcement — a warning that continued into this afternoon's update.
The protest, which involves several hundred vehicles, is part of ongoing Haredi anti-government demonstrations against the arrest of yeshiva students who do not enlist in the IDF. As The Zioneer reported in prior context, similar protests have previously led to confrontations, including an undercover police vehicle being attacked on Highway 4 and a female driver assaulted after brandishing a weapon on Highway 6. Organizers initially claimed 2,000 vehicles would participate, though police estimated 600–800 cars.
It remains unclear how police enforcement will be applied if the pace does not increase, and whether the engine fire involving Deputy Minister Eichler is connected to the convoy's slow movement or any enforcement action.
16 developments
- StrongHaredi protest organizers say they will block roads if convoys are disrupted
- DevelopingPolice declare Haredi protest illegal, move to disperse rioters
- DevelopingHaredi protesters disperse after rabbis order: following run-over incident
- StrongHaredi protesters begin dispersing after rabbinical order
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