Dozens of Haredi protesters gathered outside Cafe Basmeta in Jerusalem on Saturday, clashing with police and later blocking Nevi'im Street. A minor was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a policewoman, according to a reporter at the scene.
The protest on Saturday was the third consecutive weekend of confrontations at Cafe Basmeta, as The Zioneer reported. The day began with a small Kabbalat Shabbat gathering outside the cafe on Friday evening, which escalated into clashes with dozens of Haredi protesters on Saturday who shouted 'Shabbos' and confronted police. By noon, protesters blocked Nevi'im Street with their bodies, disrupting traffic. Police intervened and arrested a minor on suspicion of assaulting an officer. The arrest was reported earlier by Israeli media. The ongoing protests center on the cafe's decision to remain open on Shabbat, a flashpoint in Jerusalem's religious-secular tensions.
2 developments
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