Violent Protests Erupt in Yerushalayim Over Light Rail Construction

Violent demonstrations broke out Tuesday evening in Yerushalayim’s Bar Ilan neighborhood as extremist protesters attempted to halt progress on the city’s light rail expansion, placing mattresses in the middle of busy streets and lying on them to block traffic.

The renewed unrest followed the installation of the first light rail station structures in the Bar Ilan area, a development that triggered fresh opposition from groups that have long protested the railway’s planned route through chareidi neighborhoods.

Demonstrators spread mattresses across the roadway and stretched out on them, preventing vehicles from passing and bringing traffic to a standstill. The unusual protest tactic quickly escalated into confrontations with police officers dispatched to clear the streets.

Jerusalem District police, together with officers from the Yasam riot-control unit and Border Police forces, responded to the disturbances and began efforts to remove protesters and reopen the affected roads.

According to police, the demonstration developed into a public disturbance as participants blocked major traffic arteries and disrupted normal activity throughout the surrounding neighborhood.

Police said an officer initially attempted to speak with the demonstrators and persuade them to leave the roadway voluntarily. When those efforts failed, the officer formally declared the gathering unlawful and instructed participants to disperse.

After protesters refused to comply, riot police and Border Police personnel began clearing the blocked streets. Authorities said officers would remain in the area until traffic could resume and public order was restored.

Tuesday’s disturbances followed a significant development earlier in the day, when construction crews installed the first light rail stations along Bar Ilan Street despite years of opposition from extremist groups.

The stations are part of Yerushalayim’s planned Green Line, which will extend approximately 20 kilometers from the Har Hatzofim area in the north toward Gilo in the south. Opponents argue that bringing the railway through the heart of chareidi neighborhoods will threaten the religious character of the surrounding communities.

The project has repeatedly been disrupted by demonstrations, vandalism and confrontations with police. Previous reports have estimated that damage to construction sites, equipment and infrastructure, together with additional security expenses, has reached hundreds of millions of shekels.

The repeated disruptions have also reportedly delayed portions of the project by approximately two years. Despite the opposition, construction has continued, with Tuesday’s station installations marking another step toward completing the railway.

Protest organizers have indicated that they intend to continue opposing the project, even as construction advances through Bar Ilan and the surrounding neighborhoods.