(JTA) — Israeli police prevented about 500 Muslims from marching to the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem.
Police used stun grenades to stop the crowd from surging through the Damascus Gate on the way to the consulate after prayers on Friday on the Temple Mount, according to news reports.
Four people were arrested, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Bloomberg News. The Israeli police increased forces in and around Jerusalem’s Old City before Friday’s Muslim prayers to prevent disturbances such as those elsewhere in the region, Rosenfeld said.
A film about the prophet Muhammed has sparked protests throughout the Middle East and beyond. Demonstrations against the anti-Islam film also took place at a mosque in Acre, Ynet reported.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.