Violence, horses and detainees at a stormy demonstration in Shabbat Square

April 10, 2014   

Today (Thursday) at noon, a stormy demonstration took place in Jerusalem's Shabbat Square, protesting the arrest of yeshiva student Eliyahu (son of Jacqueline) Cohen, a resident of Ashdod and a student at the 'Orchot David' yeshiva, who was arrested by the police after failing to report to the draft office for the 'first order'.

About 500 protesters gathered in the square, and the traffic routes leading to it were blocked. Some of the protesters blocked the square and climbed onto buses. Police forces who arrived at the scene, accompanied by horsemen, began to disperse the demonstration, using great force and violence.

Five of the protesters were arrested.

More on the topic:

• This is what the battle for Shabbat Square looked like • Boaz Ben Ari with an angry gallery 

• Watch the documentary • A horseman destroys and vandalizes clothing stalls writing Haredim10 It is reported that the police also violently beat passersby who were out shopping for the holiday. "They now have a code that they scream on the radios 'clean up' - and then they enter groups of people, women and children, who are walking with shopping bags, and just beat them indiscriminately. I saw with my own eyes a family with children coming out of a store, and the police turned over all their bags and just beat the father and mother," says an eyewitness.

During the dispersal of the demonstration, the police caused extensive destruction in stores and overturned stalls that had been placed on the sidewalks for the holiday shopping rush.

When the demonstration in Shabbat Square dispersed, the protesters went towards Shmuel Hanevi Street and blocked 'Maran Square'.

A group of young Haredi Jews also initially gathered in the square, trying to prevent the organizers from carrying out the protest, claiming that the demonstration in the heart of Haredi neighborhoods was disrupting the public's preparations for the holiday - but without success.

Yesterday, Cohen was sentenced in a military court to 20 years in prison in Prison 6. If he remains in custody, he will celebrate the Seder and Passover behind bars.

'The 'Committee for Saving the World of Torah' calls on the Haredi public throughout the country to prepare for protests.

 Last night (Wednesday), a strengthening ceremony was held at the Cohen family home in Ashdod's 9th district. Rabbis arrived at the scene, including the rabbi Eliyahu Ben David, head of the Orchot David yeshiva, where the young man is studying, and the rabbi Yosef Sheinin, chief rabbi of Ashdod, along with the heads of the Committee for the Salvation of the World of Torah. Words of encouragement were delivered in praise of the young man and his family, who are standing firm. Afterwards, those present broke out into dancing.

Cohen was arrested by police on Monday night, as he was leaving a family event in the city of Elad with his family. His father was driving the car. Police officers, who set up a police checkpoint at the exit from the city to search for suspects, took the details of all the passengers in the car, and when they reached the young man, they discovered that he was 'wanted for questioning' by the police - and he was arrested.