Counter-Protest in Bnei Brak Turns Violent After Mass Ultra-Orthodox Demonstrations

After Wednesday’s nationwide protests that paralyzed parts of Israel, activists arrived on Friday at the edge of Bnei Brak and clashed with ultra-Orthodox residents. Police were forced to block one of the city’s streets as tensions rose amid threats from ultra-Orthodox leaders to intensify their struggle and harsh criticism of the “non-serving public” that is disrupting the country.

What began as a counter-protest quickly escalated into a tense confrontation. Video from the scene shows physical clashes, with protesters using their bodies to try to stop local ultra-Orthodox residents from passing. The two sides traded chants that underscored the deep divide, as the protesters sang “Hatikvah,” while the residents answered with “Devise a plan, it will be frustrated; speak, it will not stand.”

Police intervened and closed Kahanman Street to traffic in order to separate the groups and prevent further violence. The counter-protest was explicitly a response to the huge ultra-Orthodox demonstration on Wednesday, which lasted about four hours and shut down major roads across the country. Police had prepared for extreme scenarios and massive congestion because the protest involved slow-moving car convoys on main highways, and some demonstrators even got out of their vehicles and walked on the lanes.

The traffic disruptions caused serious consequences. Near Sha’ar HaGai, the unusual congestion and slow convoy movement led to a chain-reaction crash, and a woman in advanced pregnancy was injured when her car hit the vehicle in front of her. Traffic police said it took an ambulance more than 25 minutes to reach the scene and evacuate her. Wednesday’s protests also produced additional friction points, including police blocking the entrance to Kfar Yona on the way to Prison 10 and breaking up a fight near a residential complex in Arad.