Anti-pullout activists block highway

Burn tires along central Tel Aviv segment of major highway; police discover 60 tires apparently intended for future demonstrations in northern Tel Aviv neighborhood
By Avi Cohen

TEL AVIV - Only a week has passed since the anti-disengagement activists carried out their largest road-blocking effort to date, and yet again the protesters managed to block a major traffic artery Wednesday, as they burned tires along a central Tel Aviv segment of the Ayalon Highway.

Anti-pullout demonstrations

Wild Wild West / By Guy Ronen

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to hell. Have you ever wondered how hell really looks like? Look outside your car window: smoke and fire - burning tires, road spikes, yeshiva students screaming to high heaven in desperation, a young girl in orange attire dancing the Hora (bloodshed is apparently on the way) - and all of this smack in the middle of a highway near you

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Most of the protesters fled the area as Israel Police and Fire Department units arrived at the scene and security forces were unable to apprehend a single perpetrator.

The road was shut down for a mere 10 minutes before police reopened it for traffic.

On Tuesday Tel Aviv District Police Chief David Tzur said the police would not be able to prevent all road-blockings but would work toward clearing the roads as quickly as possible.

Today it was made evident police are incapable of preventing these types of protests.

Tzur had said he does not believe police forces should increase the use of force against the right-wing activists.

“We are investing a lot of time and effort in gathering intelligence so we may prevent the road-blockings,” he said.

Earlier Wednesday police forces discovered some 60 tires in northern Tel Aviv’s Tel Baruch neighborhood that were apparently intended for future anti-pullout road-blocking rallies.

Tel Aviv Police officials believed the discovery would prevent a planned demonstration, but were surprised to learn they were mistaken.

Last week anti-disengagement protesters blocked some 40 intersections and roads throughout the country in a planned and organized effort.

Police arrested nearly 300 demonstrators, but were unsuccessful in preventing major traffic jams.