The Battle for the Sabbath in Jerusalem: Ultra-Orthodox Protest at "Ba-Smita" Cafe
For the fourth consecutive Saturday, ultra-Orthodox protesters have demonstrated against the opening of the "Ba-Smita" cafe in Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Police are managing the scene as tensions rise between protesters and supporters of the business.
For the fourth consecutive Saturday, protests and clashes have erupted in Jerusalem: several dozen ultra-Orthodox protesters gathered today (Saturday) in front of the "Ba-Smita" cafe on Agrippas Street to demonstrate against its operation on the Sabbath.
Police forces arrived at the scene and attempted to contain the protesters within nearby alleys to keep them at a distance from the cafe. Earlier in the morning, an unidentified individual threw a bag of feces at the cafe's entrance, an act captured by security cameras.
Similar protests occurred last week, with customers and local residents gathering on the opposite side of police barriers to support the cafe's right to operate on the Sabbath. In response, protesters shouted at them, "Stop destroying Jerusalem."
Ultra-Orthodox protesters were also documented blaming the cafe and its patrons for the murder of a 19-year-old youth in the Nachlaot neighborhood, claiming their actions constituted a "desecration of the Sabbath."
Adir Schwartz, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem and Chairman of the Hitorerut movement, who arrived at the cafe with movement activists, stated in response to the ongoing events:
"This Saturday as well, extremists arrived at the Ba-Smita cafe in an attempt to intimidate the business owners and the Jerusalem public, simply because they chose to open on the Sabbath. Hitorerut activists were on the scene throughout the day, standing by the business owners and making it clear that we cannot allow a handful of extremists to dictate to Jerusalemites how to live."
