Hundreds of Gerer chassidim gathered late Monday night outside the Tel Aviv home of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, holding a surprise protest just hours after the Gerer Rebbe led a massive demonstration outside Prison 10 over the arrest of a yeshiva bochur from the chassidus.

The late-night demonstration drew approximately 200 participants, who assembled outside the attorney general’s residence after Gur’s leadership canceled plans for a much larger protest that had originally been expected to attract thousands.

According to organizers, the larger event was called off because of the severe congestion, overcrowding, and disturbances that developed earlier in the evening during the main rally outside Prison 10.

Despite the official cancellation, about 200 chassidim made their way to the site on their own. Wrapped in taleisim, participants recited Selichos, with the shliach tzibbur leading the davening while draped in a tallis. Later, demonstrators cried out together, “She has no share in the World to Come.”

Among those in attendance were young children who stood alongside their fathers carrying protest signs reading, “We do not abandon any Torah learner,” and “Whoever disgraces Torah scholars has no share in the World to Come.” At one point during the protest, several demonstrators became involved in heated verbal exchanges with a passerby.

Earlier in the evening, tens of thousands of Gerer chassidim, led by the Gerer Rebbe, had assembled outside the entrance to Prison 10 in a large-scale protest against the imprisonment of a yeshiva student from the chassidus.

The massive gathering was marked by significant crowding and heavy congestion, eventually leading demonstrators to breach the fence surrounding the prison complex. Although the event had been coordinated in advance with Israel Police, it was suspended for an extended period because of safety concerns.

As the situation intensified, United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yitzchak Goldknopf appealed to the crowd to move back in order to protect those gathered near the stage where the Gerer Rebbe was seated.

{Matzav.com}