A spontaneous protest by members of the Jerusalem Faction’s “Ratzpanikim” group on Wednesday morning ended in chaotic scenes on Highway 4 near the entrance to Bnei Brak. The demonstrators were blocking the main road to protest the arrest of yeshiva students who had refused to report to enlistment offices.
According to multiple eyewitness accounts and video footage that spread quickly on social media, large police and Border Police forces arrived to reopen the road but used what witnesses described as excessive violence. Protesters said officers beat people, dragged those sitting on the asphalt, and left some injured, bleeding, and with torn clothing. Images from the scene showed blood, ripped shirts, and visible bruising and swelling.
Witnesses also said stun grenades were used in an unusual way, with some allegedly thrown directly at groups of seated protesters who had not provoked the police. Medical teams were called in to treat the wounded on site, while cries of pain could be heard in the recordings.
Police said the protest had not been coordinated or approved in advance and had broken out unexpectedly during rush hour. One participant told Kikar HaShabbat that the group chose the morning so as not to interfere with a planned mass Gur Hasidic rally later in the day, saying, “We wanted to do our protest and clear the area.” He added that in Kappan protests, police would not have dared to tear clothing or deliver such beatings. The images triggered strong backlash in the ultra-Orthodox community, and Haredi lawmakers called for an immediate investigation.
