Watch: Sabbath café protest erupts as Liberman visits
Dozens of haredi protesters demonstrated Saturday near a café on Agrippas Street in Jerusalem, protesting its opening on Shabbat while Yisrael Beytenu leader MK Avigdor Liberman was inside. A female Border Police officer was assaulted, prompting police intervention. Liberman later defended his visit, criticizing haredi 'draft dodgers' and vowing they would be too busy serving in the military to protest.
Dozens of haredi protesters demonstrated Saturday near a café on Agrippas Street in Jerusalem, protesting the business's decision to remain open on Shabbat while Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman was inside. During the protest, a female Border Police officer was assaulted, prompting police forces to intervene and restore order. Police said officers from the Lev Habira station, Yassam officers, and Border Police officers were dispatched to the scene. At one point, several protesters attempted to force their way into the café, but officers blocked the attempt and removed those involved. Following the incident, Liberman said he came to support the owners and people whose only 'sin' was drinking coffee on Shabbat morning. He added that Israel is a Jewish state but will not be a haredi coercive state, and criticized 'draft dodgers' who riot and clash with soldiers, suggesting they should direct their energy against Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. He vowed that on his watch, draft dodgers would be too busy putting on uniforms to protest.