Thousands of Haredi protesters block traffic on central Israel thoroughfares

Thousands of Haredi protesters have brought traffic on Israel’s central highways to a standstill during massive demonstrations against the arrests of draft evaders.

At the moment, Routes 1, 6 and 4 are blocked to traffic as demonstrators throng the roads. Traffic on Tel Aviv’s Ayalon Highway is also stopped, and trains that run through the coastal city have been halted after protesters went down onto the tracks.

The central protest location announced by the hardline Jerusalem Faction is along Route 4, where demonstrators are seen clashing with officers as police try to clear them off the road. Many of the participants were bused to the location from Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh and other places throughout the country.

Smaller protests are also occurring in the Judean foothills at Ben Shemen Interchange, which connects Routes 1 and 6.

Footage from the junction shows Haredi men sitting in front of halted cars on the pavement. Some of the demonstrators wear yellow Star of David pins reminiscent of the patches Jews were forced to wear during the Nazi regime.

Police say protesters are also blocking traffic in Netivot, in what appears to be a smaller demonstration than those ongoing in the center of the country. One protester sits in front of a car holding up a sign that reads, “The new equation: A young man detained = blocked route.”