JERUSALEM: Ultra-Orthodox Jews and secular Jerusalem residents protest for and against opening of parking lot during Jewish rest day

Record ID: 755401

  • Title: JERUSALEM: Ultra-Orthodox Jews and secular Jerusalem residents protest for and against opening of parking lot during Jewish rest day
  • Date: 28th June 2009
  • Summary: ULTRA-ORTHODOX CHILD PREVENTING ANOTHER CHILD FROM HURLING BLOCK AT POLICE
  • Embargoed: 13th July 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA1OZ3UJI5VGXW40CGD7TRNJ0PE
  • Story Text: Ultra-Orthodox Jews angry at the opening of a parking lot on the Jewish sabbath clashed on Saturday (June 27) with police separating between them and secular Jerusalem residents who held a counter-protest in support of the move.
    Police moved in swiftly to separate the demonstrators after ultra-Orthodox Jews started hurling stones and vegetables. A police spokesman said 10 people were arrested.
    "I didn't do anything, I did nothing... I didn't do anything, he is hurting me, he kicked me," one ultra-Orthodox youth said as he was arrested by policemen. When asked why he was protesting the youth said "That's complicated, political reasons".
    Tensions have been brewing in the city over plans by Jerusalem's Israeli mayor, Nir Barkat, to reopen a parking lot on Saturdays, a move that could draw more traffic into the city on the Jewish sabbath.
    Jewish religious law bans travel on the sabbath, and Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox community has negotiated with city authorities arrangements that limit or ban traffic in their neighbourhoods on Saturdays.
    More than a thousand secular residents of the city attended a counter-protest, where they held signs reading 'Jerusalem should be free', and 'Jerusalem belongs to everyone'.
    "I'm coming to say to the municipality of Jerusalem that it should see that Jerusalem must be a city of freedom, that will be convenient to live in for all nations, for all sectors, for everybody, doesn't matter who. And if people want to come and visit Jerusalem for Saturday, it's OK to come with your cars and park here safely, because it must be a city of everyone," Tali Bezalel-Shoshani, a tour guide, said.
    "I'm here to support Nir Barkat in keeping as much as possible of the city open, so we can have a living vibrant city and not a dead one," another secular protester said.
    Tensions reached a new peak on Friday (June 26) when thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews walked through a main street in the city in protest at Barkat's decision. Some scuffled with journalists and photographers covering the march.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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