The Peleg Yerushalmi faction launched a series of emergency demonstrations across Israel on Wednesday following plans to transfer 19 yeshivah students classified as draft evaders to the military police after their release from custody in connection with the disturbances outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg.

The protests were organized after authorities moved forward with efforts to hand over the detainees, who had been arrested during the unrest near Sohlberg’s residence and are now facing transfer to military jurisdiction.

In a statement issued by the Committee for the Preservation of the Torah World, which is affiliated with Peleg Yerushalmi, organizers called on “bnei Torah and all those who fear the word of Hashem” to immediately join widespread demonstrations against what they described as “the extradition process to the army for the crime of learning Torah.”

Demonstrations were held at four primary locations around the country, including outside Nitzan Prison in Ramle, near the Russian Compound in Yerushalayim, adjacent to Hadarim Prison, along Route 4 between Ra’anana and Netanya, and in Abu Kabir.

Peleg Yerushalmi leaders warned that if the detainees are ultimately transferred to military custody, the protests are expected to intensify dramatically in the coming days. Organizers declared that “the country will burn — everywhere, at all times.”

Over the past hour, clashes were reported between demonstrators and police at several locations. In Abu Kabir, protesters reportedly attempted to block roads and engaged in disturbances, while in Yerushalayim police said dozens of demonstrators gathered near the Russian Compound in an effort to prevent vehicles transporting the detainees from leaving the nearby detention facility.

Police said reinforced forces were deployed to the area and were operating “in order to disperse those involved in the disturbances.”

Additional confrontations were reported near the Russian Compound as police worked to clear demonstrators from the area and maintain access for prisoner transport vehicles.

The Eidah Hachareidis also announced its participation in the protests. In a statement, representatives said that, under the directive of the ga’avadim and members of the Badatz of the Eidah Hachareidis headed by Rav Moshe Sternbuch, the public was being called upon to take part in protests outside prisons throughout the country in opposition to the transfer of bochurim and avreichim to military detention facilities.

The statement described the effort as an obligation upon every individual and called for a determined campaign, conducted with mesirus nefesh, to prevent the authorities from carrying out the transfers.

Following the directive, all Eidah Hachareidis kollelim reportedly closed during the past hour, with large numbers of avreichim joining the demonstrations across the country.

{Matzav.com}