Thousands of Gur Hasidim Protest at Prison 10 Over Arrests, Tensions Rise

On Monday evening, thousands of Gur Hasidim gathered outside Prison 10 to protest the detention of deserters from their community. The event began with a commotion near the prison entrance, where intense pushing was reported. A police commander present at the scene admitted, "We have no way to stop them, they are at the last gate." Some protesters damaged the prison's outer fence, leading to clashes between demonstrators and police.

Due to the crowding and escalating tension, Yitzhak Goldknopf, chairman of United Torah Judaism and Knesset member, called for calm, urging participants to take a step back and conduct the protest respectfully. He later warned, "The situation is collapsing, people are lying on top of each other, this is a matter of life and death," adding, "There will be a disaster here."

The arrival of the Gur Rebbe at the protest helped to fully calm the situation. Concurrently, Kan News reported that the Gur Rebbe declared he would attend demonstrations at Prison 10 with thousands of his followers whenever a deserter from his community is arrested.