Apr. 26, 2005 23:38 Seven policemen injured in haredi riots
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS AND JPOST STAFF
Several hundred haredi demonstrators blocked a central Jerusalem thoroughfare Tuesday evening in the city's Mea Shearim neighborhood and then clashed with police in protest over what they believe is the desecration of ancient graves during the construction of the trans-Israel highway, also known as highway 6, police said.
Police dispersed the protesters, arrested five demonstrators, and reopened the street to traffic.
While police were arresting one of the haredim suspected of setting a garbage bin on fire, several hundred haredim inside a nearby anti-Zionist Satmar Yeshiva began pelting police with stones, pieces of metal, blocks, and hurled benches at them in an effort to torpedo the arrest, injuring seven police officers, including one moderately, police said.
Three suspected rioters were arrested on the scene, while the moderately injured police officer was evacuated to the city's nearby Bikur Holim Hospital.
Israeli archaeologists say that the graves in question near the highway are not being disturbed
during the work on the highway.
The caretaker of the yeshiva and synagogue, Moshe Rott, told Israel Radio that dozens of police officers entered the yeshiva, shattered windows and hit several students.
In response, police officials said that the officers had only gone as far as the entrance to the facility in order to pull out a policeman who was being dragged into the yeshiva.
On Wednesday morning, MK Meir Porush condemned the police's handling of the incident. "The police records all demonstrations. I would be interested in seeing that footage...It is disturbing to watch the police beating people," he told Israel Radio, "How can they enter a synagogue? What Hutzpah that is!"
Asst.-Cmdr. Menny Yitzhaki, commander of the Zion regional station in Jerusalem, denied any wrongdoing by the police during the incident. He told Israel Radio Wednesday morning that the police did only what they needed to do to contain the violent situation. He also stressed that the police only entered the yeshiva to retrieve the officer who was being dragged into the building.
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