Fervently Orthodox Jews rioted in Jerusalem to protest the arrest of a community member.
The demonstrators set fire to garbage cans on four streets Monday.
Shmuel Weisfish, a member of the community’s “chastity squad,” was arrested a month ago for allegedly setting fire to a store that sold MP4 players, which are a violation of community sensibilities, Ynet reported. Weisfish has been in police custody since his arrest.
Community members have been demonstrating every evening in front of the store, blocking the street and causing public disturbances and then fleeing before police arrive.
The fervently Orthodox Jews are adverse to the MP4 players because they believe the machines keep people from studying Torah.
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.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
