Protesters begin march into Bnei Brak amid fears of clashes

Protesters seeking to pressure the government’s ultra-Orthodox members against the coalition’s plans to upend the judiciary have started their demonstration heading into the religious enclave of Bnei Brak, home to senior United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni.

Several ultra-Orthodox rabbis have issued orders to yeshiva and religious students to stay away from the protest area, in an effort to prevent altercations with the largely secular protesters.

Last week, ultra-Orthodox counter-protesters pelted demonstrators outside Gafni’s home with eggs. Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog have made calls to lower tensions, ahead of this evening’s Bnei Brak protest.

על רחוב ז'בוטינסקי ברמת גן גבול בני ברק כבר צעדה ספונטנית
הצעדה המרכזית תצא מקניון איילון בשבע
אני בדרך לשם ותיכף אפתח לייב pic.twitter.com/0G8IKMsm3P

— Or-ly Barlev ~ אור-לי ברלב (@orlybarlev) March 23, 2023