Protesters block Coastal Road
Right-wing activists opposed to pullout plan attempt to disrupt traffic across the country Tuesday evening; Coastal Road blocked near Netanya. Protest organizers say they are resisting "dictatorial regime"
TEL AVIV - Far right activists hit again: A week after blocking the Ayalon freeway, pullout objectors again attempted to paralyzed major thoroughfares across the nation Tuesday evening.
Protestors burned tired and blocked the Coastal Road at the Poleg junction near Netanya for about half an hour, prompting huge northbound traffic jams.
Dozens of activists who sat on the road were photographed by police officers, who hope to use the pictures as evidence in future trials.
The road was reopened after police extinguished burning tires and detained 25 protesters. The Netanya police also spotted the bus that brought the protesters to the junction and arrested the driver and two passengers.
Earlier, the police detained 66 far right activists at the Glilot junction near Tel Aviv on suspicion they were planning to block roads in the area.
Later, the police released 55 activists.
The Yesha Council, however, slammed what it called "ongoing Bolshevik acts against non-violent, legitimate protests." The activists arrested near Glilot intended to deliver sweets to thousands of homes, not to demonstrate, Council officials said
The Tel Aviv District police, meanwhile, have declare the highest state of alert and dispatched a helicopter in search of protestors planning to disrupt traffic.
'We won't respond to police provocations'
The police were also concerned that protesters are planning to stage a demonstration at the Geha junction near Tel Aviv, promptly dispatching large forces to the area.
Pullout opponents also demonstrated at the corner of Eli Cohen and Yoseftal streets in the town of Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv. The police arrived at the scene, but reported no disturbances.
Earlier Tuesday, protesters attempted to block the Jerusalem-Dead Sea Highway near the Mitzpe Jericho junction. The protesters burned tires before fleeing, but police arrived at the scene and reopened the road.
Attempts to block roads across the country come in the framework of civilian resistance to a violent, dictatorial regime, protest organizers said Tuesday.
"We won't respond to police provocations by resorting to violence," one organizer said.
