Violence erupted Friday evening as Haredi demonstrators gathered at police stations in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, prompting law enforcement to use force to break up the crowds. The protests were organized in reaction to arrests that occurred during earlier demonstrations at Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg’s residence.
Reports indicate that demonstrators assembled outside the police facilities, with some attempting to force their way inside the buildings. Local residents reported being attacked during the unrest, and eyewitnesses noted that police took several minutes before beginning efforts to disperse the crowds.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that officers were sent to both cities and employed crowd-control tactics against the demonstrators. In Beit Shemesh, protesters allegedly hurled rocks at police officers as confrontations continued.
At Jerusalem’s Lev HaBira police station, officers worked to move demonstrators away from the surrounding area. Commander Shlomi Bachar, who leads the Zion District, ordered his officers to use force against the protesters. According to Maariv, police employed batons while working to drive demonstrators back from the station.
Throughout the confrontations, protesters shouted anti-police slogans while voicing opposition to the detention of Haredi demonstrators arrested at Sohlberg’s home and the court’s decision to extend their custody.
Violent encounters between law enforcement and demonstrators continued in Beit Shemesh, where officers also employed force while attempting to restore calm to the area.
Reports suggest that police had made advance preparations for the demonstrations after communications spread through the Jerusalem Faction (Peleg Yerushalmi) community encouraging Friday evening protests regarding the arrests. Even with these preparations in place, observers noted that significant time elapsed before police began responding to the situation.
