Cops use stun grenades as hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews riot in Jerusalem

Four police injured; water cannons also used to break up protest over rumors of arrest of female draft-dodger

By ToI Staff 16 April 2018, 12:37 am Edit
  • Israeli Police uses a water canon against Ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters during a protest outside the army recruitment office in Jerusalem, following the arrest of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman. April 15, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
    Israeli Police uses a water canon against Ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters during a protest outside the army recruitment office in Jerusalem, following the arrest of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman. April 15, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
  • Israel Police use a water canon against ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters during a protest outside the army recruitment office in Jerusalem, following the arrest of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman. April 15, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
    Israel Police use a water canon against ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters during a protest outside the army recruitment office in Jerusalem, following the arrest of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman. April 15, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
  • Israeli Police uses a water canon against Ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters during a protest outside the army recruitment office in Jerusalem, following the arrest of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman. April 15, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
    Israeli Police uses a water canon against Ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters during a protest outside the army recruitment office in Jerusalem, following the arrest of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman. April 15, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Four policemen were lightly injured as hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews rioted outside the IDF draft office in Jerusalem on Sunday night.

Cops used stun grenades and water cannons to disperse the protesters, after normal crowd control methods failed.

The protesters were demonstrating over rumors of the arrest of a young woman from the Har Nof neighborhood for draft-dodging, the ultra-Orthodox news site Behadrei Haredim reported.

The riot began with a few dozen men who began throwing projectiles at cars. Horse-mounted police tried to control the crowd, which quickly grew to several hundred. Several of the rioters were reportedly injured during the demonstration.

Police spokesman Micky Ronsenfeld said, “Police units in Jerusalem dispersed an ultra religious illegal demonstration with stun grenades after 4 police officers were injured lightly.”

Behadrei Haredim said that in the past, protests have begun over false rumors of arrests. In this case, the site reported, a young woman was arrested, but the site said it was shown photos of the woman posted on Facebook two months ago, which appear to show that she does not outwardly adhere to a religious lifestyle.

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