Serious unrest and public order violations broke out Sunday along the Bar Ilan corridor in Jerusalem, after dozens of protesters broke into the light rail construction site in the area, according to a report by Kikar HaShabbat. The protesters, demonstrating against the continued advancement of infrastructure work in the heart of the Haredi neighborhood, managed to breach the safety fencing, caused deliberate damage to engineering infrastructure, and attempted to block the area's main traffic routes.
Given the rapid escalation on the ground and concern over a prolonged closure of the central transportation artery, large police forces were called to the scene. Jerusalem District forces, reinforced by Border Police fighters and special teams from the Central Patrol Unit, arrived at the construction site and began surrounding the area.
A police officer present at the scene formally declared an illegal disturbance of the peace and called on the protesters to leave the area immediately, though some refused to comply with the instructions and continued to gather.
Haredi residents have been protesting at the Bar Ilan intersection for some time now, following the Jerusalem Municipality's decision to route one of the new light rail lines through the area. Dramatic footage from the scene showed the arrest unfolding at the heart of the construction site, characterized by sand, deep pits and exposed infrastructure pipes laid into the ground. A unit of Yasam and Border Police fighters was seen taking control of one suspect who had hidden among giant pipes at the bottom of the excavation pits.
The incident is the latest flashpoint in what has become a years long standoff between Haredi residents and the city over the light rail's route through the neighborhood.
Protests along Bar Ilan Street have recurred on a near weekly basis in recent months, with previous demonstrations resulting in arrests, injuries to police officers, and, according to the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office, tens of millions of shekels in damage to infrastructure and project delays. The municipality and the Moriya development company have filed civil suits seeking millions of shekels in compensation from participants in the protests, while dozens of demonstrators have already been convicted on charges including disturbing the peace, rioting, and unlawful assembly.
