Ultra-Orthodox Protesters Block Roads in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak Over Shabbat Violations

On Saturday night, dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked roads in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak to oppose public transportation operating during the final hours of Shabbat. At Jerusalem's entrance, protesters obstructed the road, disrupting Egged bus services and prompting a police response. Reinforced police units arrived to disperse the demonstrators and restore traffic, which resumed after the protesters left. Meanwhile, in Bnei Brak, a bridge leading to the mixed neighborhood of HaSofrim was blocked with large construction containers, reportedly placed by a truck driver sent by the municipality. Following media exposure, police cleared the obstruction, impounded the truck, and began investigating the driver. Police condemned the act as dangerous and an infringement on residents' freedom of movement. In a separate incident in Bnei Brak, a three-year-old girl was injured by a vehicle during the protests on Rehov 600. United Hatzalah medics provided on-site treatment before transferring her to Schneider Children's Hospital in Petah Tikva, where her condition was reported as stable.