Protesters block major highway

TEL AVIV - About 100 right-wing demonstrators set a giant blaze on a section of the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway, at the entrance to Tel Aviv, Monday evening. The incident marks an unprecedented escalation in the battle waged by disengagement objectors in a bid to thwart the plan The protestors blocked northbound traffic using burning tires, prompting large numbers of police officers and firefighters to arrive at the scene. As a result of the blaze, the road was blocked for about 30 minutes, as huge traffic jams formed in the area. Police later reopened the road. Meanwhile, the police have detained 18 right-wing activists suspected of disrupting traffic on the highway. Other demonstrators managed to flee the scene. The police apparently did not possess intelligence information about the planned protest, and as a result was caught unprepared. In a similar incident about two weeks ago, police officers managed to disperse right-wing protestors within 10 minutes. Police sources told Ynet they were aware of planned demonstrations, but were misled about their location. Police reinforcements are constantly on alert for disruptions of the peace and will maintain their high level of preparedness throughout the pullout period, the sources said, but added they expect future protests that would block major road arteries in the Tel Aviv area. ‘Demonstrators are a fifth column’ The police views Monday’s incident with the utmost severity, a police statement said. “The offences were documented, and the police intends to make use of the material as court evidence,” the statement said. “Any attempt to block major roads and disrupt the peace would be met with a determined response.” Knesset Member Ran Cohen called on the police chief and internal security minister to bring the Ayalon “outlaws” to justice. “We are not talking about innocent demonstrators, but rather, a fifth column that brings disaster on the rule of law,” he said. Labor faction Chairman Eitan Cabel, meanwhile, demanded that the police and the attorney general take serious steps against the protestors. “This is not a protest, it’s pure hooliganism,” he said. The Yesha Council, however, says it is not related in any way to Monday’s demonstration. However, Yesha officials said such incidents are a direct result of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s refusal to submit the pullout plan to a national referendum.

Protesters block major highway

About 100 right-wing demonstrators opposed to pullout plan use burning tires to block entrance to Tel Aviv on one of country’s major road arteries; giant blaze reported at the scene earlier, police manage to detain 18 protestersed to the area