Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) protesters blocked roads and tried to damage the light rail construction site on Bar Ilan Street and near Zaks Junction in Jerusalem on Monday night, Israel police announced.
When the gathering became riotous, police on the scene declared it a public disturbance and instructed the protesters to clear the road. After the protesters failed to comply, police began using crowd dispersal measures to restore public order.
Additionally, police received reports of traffic disruptions caused by roadblocks and deliberately set fires in areas adjacent to the road. Officers arrived at the scene to restore public safety.
Haredi protesters disrupt light rail construction, block traffic
On Sunday, protesters disrupted light rail construction and blocked traffic on the street, according to Israeli police.
Video footage seen by The Jerusalem Post appears to show several haredi (ultra-Orthodox) protesters loitering on the tracks and preventing construction crews from working.
The incidents come following weeks of protests aimed at blocking light rail construction on the street, a major route that runs through a heavily haredi neighborhood.
Haredi protesters have cumulatively caused over NIS 400 million in damage to the Jerusalem light rail's unfinished Green Line since construction began about six years ago, an N12 report revealed.