Ultra-Orthodox Protest Erupts in Jerusalem, Disrupting Light Rail Construction

Dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters demonstrated Tuesday evening on Bar Ilan Street in Jerusalem, expressing their opposition to the ongoing light rail construction. Video footage from the scene showed participants toppling a traffic light and vandalizing fences at the work sites. Police responded to the unrest, deploying stun grenades and a water cannon to disperse the crowd.

According to a police statement, officers from the Jerusalem district, along with Yasam, Magav, and border police units, worked to quell the disturbance. The protesters attempted to cause damage and intermittently block traffic routes. After police declared the gathering an illegal riot and ordered the demonstrators to clear the area, forces began using crowd-control measures.

These protests by extremist factions against the light rail, specifically the "Green Line" route, have occurred periodically in Jerusalem. The Green Line is intended to connect the neighborhoods of Gilo and Mount Scopus. Construction was initially slated for completion by the end of 2025 but was delayed due to various factors, including the war and opposition from these ultra-Orthodox groups. The revised completion date is now set for the end of 2027.

Reports from July indicated that damages resulting from previous ultra-Orthodox riots against the Green Line project in Jerusalem had already reached an estimated half a billion shekels, according to individuals involved in the project.