Police clash again with ultra-Orthodox extremists for COVID-19 violations

17 arrested in clash at Satmar hassidic school in Jerusalem.

By JEREMY SHARON
The smashed window of the police car in the ultra-Orthodox Ezrat Torah neighborhood in Jerusalem, as police arrive to enforce lockdown restrictions, January 20, 2021.
Police arrested 17 extremist ultra-Orthodox protesters in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ezrat Torah while closing down a school operating in violation of the COVID-19 regulations during the nationwide lockdown.
The police were attempting to shut down a school belonging to the hardline Satmar hassidic community but were confronted by dozens of violent extremists seeking to impede the operation.
In one incident in the same neighborhood a rock was thrown at a police patrol vehicle smashing the passenger window and injuring a policeman in the car. It is not clear if the incident took place during the police efforts to close the Satmar school or separately.
Clearance and closure of the school took some two hours, beginning at 9:00 a.m., during which water cannons were used by the police to disperse protesters.
After police successfully closed the school down, dozens of pupils began to dance together outside the premises of the institution.
Confrontations also took place between police personnel and extremist ultra-Orthodox protesters from the Jerusalem Faction in Beit Shemesh at a school open that has remained open in defiance of the lockdown, leading to the arrest of two protesters for attacking police officers.
Dozens of protesters also sought to block the police patrol vehicles driving the detainees away from the incident.
On Tuesday night, police discovered an ultra-Orthodox wedding in Ashkelon attended by dozens of guests, including one woman who is a COVID-19 patient and was required to be in quarantine.
Israel Police arrive at an illegal wedding in Jerusalem to break it up, amidst lockdown restrictions, January 21, 2021. (Credit: Police Spokesperson Unit)
Police issued 21 fines against the hosts of the event.
And police discovered another wedding taking place Tuesday night with several dozen guests in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo in the capital, also in violation of the lockdown.

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The police issued a NIS 1,000 fine to the host of the event and the hall owner and dispersed the celebration.
In Bnei Brak, Channel 12 News reported that a school, which was the scene of a large confrontation between police and ultra-Orthodox protesters on Tuesday was open again for studies yesterday.
Following footage taken by the news outlet of pupils entering the school, police arrived to fine the school principal and disperse the pupils.
Also yesterday, the police discovered 100 worshipers praying in an underground parking lot in Lod, fined those present and dispersed the prayer service.