Thousands of haredim in Jerusalem started Shabbat with a prayer gathering slash protest that morphed into a violent riot against the opening of a new movie theater multiplex which is open for business on Shabbat, angering haredim.
Above: File photo
Haredim Riot In Jerusalem
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Thousands of haredim in Jerusalem started Shabbat with a prayer gathering slash protest that morphed into a violent riot against the opening of a new movie theater multiplex which is open for business on Shabbat, angering haredim.
The haredi rioters threw stones at police and smashed store windows, Ynet reported.
Earlier Friday before the riots, Moshe Greidinger, CEO of Yes Planet's parent company Cineworld PLC, said he was aware of the possibility that haredim might protest the theaters’ opening.
"I believe in live and let live, anytime it doesn't hurt someone else. I grew up with the Jerusalem 'Shabbat wars' – in the end you reach a status quo and I believe it will be that way this time as well,” Greidinger reportedly said.
The protests occurred in the Romema neighborhood near the Central Bus Station and on Ha-Nevi'im street, which is the unofficial border between haredi north Jerusalem neighborhoods like Mea Shearim and downtown Jerusalem and a frequent site of haredi demonstrations and riots.
At this time there are no reported injuries.
However, Ha'aretz reported police had to rescue a woman who mistakenly drove her car into the area of one of the riots and who was briefly trapped there and the Times of Israel reported based on a Channel 2 News report that some arrests of haredi rioters were made after the rioters attacked members of the press.