by Sarah Ben-Nun, Jerusalem Post Staff
In Jerusalem, protesters blocking the tunnel opening to Highway 16 were sprayed with a water cannon by police to try to clear out the road for traffic.
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Thousands flocked to streets and highways and donned yellow ribbons on Sunday in nationwide protests to exert pressure to free the 50 remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza as soon as possible. Scuffles between protesters and exasperated citizens, and police, shortly followed.
Israel Police said that 39 people had been arrested so far. Twenty people were apprehended or arrested on the northern side of the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, said police, adding that they “didn’t listen to instructions.” It said it secured the opening of the highway.
Maarach Otef Atzurim, a legal aid group for protesters, noted at around noon that three were arrested near the Begin Highway in Tel Aviv, and that one had already been released, while on Ayalon Highway, three arrived at police stations so far after being apprehended.
Police noted that protests are the hard lines of protests - which it has sworn to protect - is lighting fires, "damaging free traffic, and disturbing public order," the latter of which carries esoteric applications and can be stretched far and wide.
Earlier, at around 8 a.m., a truck driver stepped out of his vehicle near the Ra'anana junction and violently hit a protester, who left bleeding from his nose.
השביתה למען החטופים | איילון צפון נחסם לתנועה באזור מחלף לה גווארדיה; איילון דרום נחסם באזור מחלף קק"ל@AnnaPines_
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Dozens of protesters also gathered outside the IDF Southern Command headquarters in Beersheba.
השביתה למען החטופים | הפגנה מול פיקוד דרום בבאר שבע@Itsik_zuarets
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Drivers attack protesters
In Kfar Saba, another protest site, one of the drivers who got caught in the traffic caused by the protests got out of her car and sprayed people standing nearby with pepper spray.One man was arrested by police in Ness Ziona, Maarach Otef Atzurim, said. He was released shortly after, and a hearing was scheduled for him for Monday morning.
In Jerusalem, protesters blocking the tunnel opening to Highway 16 were sprayed with a water cannon by police to try to clear out the road for traffic. Maarach Otef Atzurim said that three were on their way to police stations. Seven people were arrested by police.
It added that three people were arrested in Haifa.
This comes as Israel's politicians trade blows about the protests. The opposition encouraged people to protest in support of the hostages.
"Go on strike today. This is not a provocation, it's not part of the political quarrel, it's not the opposition. Strike out of solidarity. Strike because the families asked, and that is reason enough," said opposition leader Yair Lapid.
In contrast, some right-wing politicians claimed that the strikes benefit Hamas.
"This strike strengthens Hamas and pushes further away the return of the hostages," said National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Hodaya Ran contributed to this report.
Sarah Ben-Nun, Jerusalem Post Staff
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-864407
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