Route 4 Reopens After Clashes at Chareidi Protest; Injuries and Three Arrests Reported
By David
Route 4 reopened in both directions after police dispersed a Chareidi protest near Geha Junction on October 29. Police reported three demonstrators arrested and three officers injured.
The protest had earlier blocked the highway between the Alufe Sadeh and Em HaMoshavot interchanges. The later police update said traffic was moving again, replacing earlier reports that the road remained closed.
Reports said officers struck protesters with batons and threw stun grenades during the clashes. Injured demonstrators were taken away by ambulances. The report did not give a confirmed total of injured protesters.
Police said the protest had been declared illegal before force was used. In their subsequent update, police said three demonstrators were arrested on suspicion of assaulting officers and disturbing the peace. Those are allegations, not convictions.
Police also reported that a television news crew was attacked during the demonstration. The reopened highway and the reported injuries and arrests formed the latest available account of the incident.
(The featured photograph is an illustrative Tel Aviv highway image. It does not show Route 4, Geha Junction or this protest.)