At about 10:00PM on Friday night, talmidim in Yeshivas Grodna in Be’er Yaakov observed tractors and other heavy equipment crossing the road near the yeshiva. After probing the matter, they learned the trucks were part of work crews involved in Chilul Shabbos on the train project in the city. The bochrim decided to go out and block the road, and after about an hour, bochrim from other yeshivas joined them; including Yeshivos Knesset Shalom, N’vei Eretz and Sheiris Yosef to name a few.

An Israel Police officer arrived on the scene later on, telling the roshei yeshivos the stopping of the work that was taking place will result in the trains service being shut down on motzei Shabbos. They were also told Yassam commando units were going to respond to remove them forcibly if necessary. The Yassam force did arrive and police finally succeeded in clearing the road at 1:00AM.

Kikar Shabbos News adds one of the bochrim who participated in the event explained the Yassam police acted with unjustifiable force amid an awareness no one had a camera to record what was taking place.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)