Police Crack Down on Ultra-Orthodox Draft Protest Near Bnei Brak, Drawing Angry Backlash

A protest by members of the Jerusalem Faction on Wednesday morning along Route 4, near the entrance to Bnei Brak, ended in scenes that sparked outrage in the ultra-Orthodox community. The demonstrators blocked the road to protest the arrest of yeshiva students, and police arrived in large numbers to reopen the route.

According to multiple eyewitnesses and videos circulated on social media, the evacuation turned violent. Protesters were seen being beaten, dragged off the roadway, and left wounded, bruised, and bleeding on the asphalt. Some were shown with torn clothing and visible injuries, while medical teams treated the injured at the scene. One witness said, “We saw people sitting on the road and getting hit. This was not a normal evacuation. There was a sense of aggression we have not seen in a long time.”

The anger intensified after claims that stun grenades were used during the dispersal, and that some were fired directly at seated protesters. The images, including bloodied hands and legs and torn garments, triggered harsh criticism online, with many accusing police of using excessive force and asking why such scenes have become routine.

Leaders in the Jerusalem Faction said the incident reflected a broader policy meant to intimidate protesters, not just restore order. “There is a difference between clearing a road and breaking people,” one source involved in organizing the protests said. “This is not enforcement, this is deterrence through force.”

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri also responded, addressing National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. He said police did in Bnei Brak what they did not do against the anti-government protesters in Kaplan, and urged Ben Gvir to stop what he called the police violence against “bnei Torah.”