Riot in Jerusalem
Photo: Guy Assayag
Haredi autopsy protest turns violent
Ultra-Orthodox Jews riot in capital: Throw stones at police, burn garbage cans in protest of autopsy to be performed on body of 25-year old man killed in car accident on Monday
Ultra-Orthodox Jews rallied on Thursday afternoon at Jerusalem's Bar Ilan Street and in different areas of the Meah Shearim and Geula neighborhoods, burning garbage cans and throwing stones at police officers who arrived at the scene.
The demonstrators were protesting the decision to allow an autopsy on the body of David Willinger, who was killed in a car accident on Highway 6 on Monday.
When police arrived at the scene of the rally in order to put a stop to the burning of garbage cans, the protesters began to throw stones and bottles at the officers. No injuries were reported, but the stone-throwers escaped.
Many streets in Jerusalem were blocked because of the incident. On Wednesday a similar protest was staged, also due to the autopsy.
Earlier the Magistrate's Court in Nazareth decided to approve the appeal filed by police to perform an autopsy on Willinger's body, but delayed the procedure in order to give the family time to appeal to the High Court of Justice.
Twenty-five-year-old David Willinger was on his way north from Ramat Gan when his car collided with a truck. Police requested the autopsy in order to investigate the possibility that he died of cardiac arrest just before the accident.
The traffic department of Northern District Police stated that they respected the family's feelings on the issue, but an autopsy is required in order to establish the extent of the truck-driver's guilt.
Efrat Weiss contributed to this report
