Riots in Bat Yam: Ultra-Orthodox protesters disrupt the arrest of a draft dodger

Riots broke out early Thursday morning in Bat Yam, when military police forces arrived to the city to arrest who they said was a deserter. Following urgent messages circulated in ultra-Orthodox networks, including warnings such as "Black Color" and "the kidnappers have arrived," protesters rushed to the scene and managed to disrupt and prevent the arrest.

The military police left the area, and the protesters broke out in dance.

Massive protests are expected to take place in Jerusalem and the Dan region following "the arrest of yeshiva students and kollel scholars in recent days by the army," according to the Jerusalem faction. The blockades and demonstrations are expected to begin at 16:00, with a possible focus on the Geha Highway.

Last Tuesday, riots broke out in Modi'in against the backdrop of military police activity to arrest a deserter. Hundreds of protesters, dressed in black, arrived at the scene with the aim of disrupting the arrest.

They blocked the military police officers, who called in the civilian police to rescue them. According to eyewitnesses at the scene, the police officers advised the military police to release the deserter in order to calm things down. The deserter, who was already handcuffed, was in fact released.

At the entrance to the building, severe confrontations broke out. Dozens of protesters were trapped on the 11th floor along with military police soldiers and Israeli police officers in the building where the deserter resides, in an attempt to cause the forces to give up and leave. Eventually, the military police officers left the building.