Police to Block Central Streets in Bnei Brak Ahead of Women’s Demonstration
In a surprising announcement, the police have declared that they will be blocking central streets in the city of Bnei Brak tomorrow, Thursday, in anticipation of a demonstration by women from the left who are protesting against the exclusion of women. Despite receiving permission to march on side streets, the police have decided to close half of Rabbi Akiva Street, the city’s main street.
The police’s decision has sparked an uproar, with calls in Bnei Brak to go out and block the Gaha road in order to obstruct the protesters from reaching the city. MK Uriel Bosso, the candidate for mayor, has written a letter to Commissioner Shabtai and Minister Ben Gabir, demanding their intervention to prevent the blockades, which he believes will cause severe and unacceptable damage to Shabbat preparations.
Bosso is considering petitioning on the issue, stating, “It is unthinkable that every time someone wants to provoke, the police allow them to take tens of thousands of hostages. It will seriously harm all residents and is an irreparable injustice.”
Media personality Avi Greenzeig voiced his concerns, questioning the police’s decision, “Just trying to understand the concept, citizens who want to troll an entire city with bad timing, on a Thursday evening, get a free hand from the police to block whatever they want? Because I really feel like blocking Tel Aviv next week and maybe Herzliya in two weeks. With who closes the deal?”
Radio broadcaster Moshe Glasner also criticized the police’s announcement, referring to it as a “hallucination” and a disrespect towards the ultra-orthodox public. He questioned the decision to block half of Bnei Brak’s main street during a busy time of the week, solely to enable a demonstration of hatred by women provocateurs in the heart of the city.
Responding to the controversy, Itzik Sodri, a spokesperson for the Shas movement, accused the police of approving chaos and accepting chaos. He expressed concern over the blocking of central thoroughfares during the preparations for Shabbat and blamed the disruption on “some anarchists” who have chosen to disturb public order.
As tensions rise and opposition to the police’s decision intensifies, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold. Residents of Bnei Brak, alongside various public figures, are demanding a reevaluation of the decision to block the city’s central roads, as they believe it will have significant repercussions for all residents.