Shortly after midnight, police from the Modi'in Illit station stopped and inspected a car near the Maccabim crossing because it aroused suspicion. During the check, officers found that the driver, a Haredi man in his 20s from Modi'in Illit, was driving a vehicle that had not passed its annual road test for more than a year.
Police handled the case as a traffic violation and, after issuing a ticket, released the driver. According to the police, the stop sparked a large protest: hundreds of Haredi demonstrators came to the Maccabim crossing and began disturbing the peace.
The unrest escalated into what police described as a major riot. Protesters damaged a police vehicle and punctured its tires. Large police forces from the Judea and Samaria District, including border police units, together with IDF troops, were deployed to restore order.
