Some 400 members of the ultra-Orthodox Neturei Karta sect protesting autopsies clashed here with police yesterday. Twenty protestors were arrested, including veteran Neturei Karta leader Amram Blau. The demonstrators gathered at dusk at Sabbath Square, holding up traffic and shouting anti-Zionist and anti-autopsy slogans. A police detachment asked them to disperse, but they regrouped after an hour and threw stones at policemen. The police brought up a baton charge against the demonstrators, arresting the leaders and dispersing the rest with a high-pressure water hose. Observers believe the issue is being reopened as the election draws near and the Neturei Karta wants to influence the moderate Orthodox on the autopsy issue. The clash was the most violent of its kind since the 1967 war.
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.
