BICOM

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox men protested in Jerusalem last night against the arrest of 40 ultra-Orthodox for refusing to join the IDF or take part in national service.

The protestors were particularly aggrieved by the arrest two weeks ago of the grandson of a prominent rabbi of the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok Hasidic sect.

The protest turned violent and nine demonstrators were arrested for throwing stones at police.

The protesters gathered at Shabbat Square in Jerusalem, a central neighbourhood of the ultra-Orthodox community. The area was closed to traffic, and supervised by a large police presence. The demonstration then marched toward a nearby IDF recruitment centre. Along the route, some protestors began to throw rubbish bins into the street and blocked a access road.

The Police were subsequently accused of using excessive force to tackle the protestors. Video footage has been released showing police kicking demonstrators and punching them in the face. Two of the demonstrators were hospitalised.

The police said in a statement that the demonstration was “exceptionally violent,” involving “hundreds of ultra-Orthodox men who rioted, blocked a main intersection with their bodies, attacked policemen and disturbed the peace. Some of the rioters even threw stones and other objects at the policemen. During these disturbances, seven policemen were wounded and needed medical care.” The Police said: “In response, police were forced to use crowd-control measures and arrest nine rioters in an attempt to prevent the continuation of this violent, illegal demonstration and the blockage of roads.”

The police admitted that one video clip posted on the internet did appear to show officers using force that was “ostensibly employed for purposes other than enforcement”. The Police Internal Investigations Department has begun investigating claims of police violence.

Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok is a hard-line anti-Zionist sect. The group had placed notices calling for “days of rage to stop the plague of decrees of annihilation.” While the sect is considered extremist, it is not believed to be violent, which made the demonstration unusual.

Last week the Supreme Court ruled that recent legislation that exempted Yeshiva students from national service was unconstitutional and gave the Government a year to resolve the issue.