Police scuffle with Haredim protesting light rail construction in Jerusalem

Police officers clashed with Haredi protesters opposed to the construction of a light rail line in Jerusalem on Wednesday night.

One of the officers was seen on video lightly slapping one of the protesters in what appeared to be an unprovoked assault.

Another video showed an officer grappling a demonstrator to the ground to forcefully arrest him. It wasn’t clear what preceded the incident.

The demonstrators see the construction as a secular encroachment into their neighborhood.

The protests against the light rail by extremist Haredi groups had subsided in recent months, but picked back up over the last several days.

Wednesday’s protest was the third day in a row of demonstrations.

מעצר אלים בהפגנה נגד הרכבת הקלה בירושלים: שוטר מג״ב מכה צעיר, מפיל אותו על הכביש, חונק אותו – ואז מבצע מעצר
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— זושא לוסטיג | zusha lustig (@ZoshaLustig) June 7, 2023

Dozens of the demonstrators went out to the capital’s Bar Ilan Street to attempt to disrupt the light rail construction.

First responders treated at least one protester who had been shoved into a wall and fell down, the Ynet news site reported.

The construction has been going on for several years under the approval of the Jerusalem municipality.