Thousands of Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem clashed with police over the weekend in response to the first ever opening of a municipal parking lot on Shabbat.

Orthodox leaders insist everything in the capital must remain closed on Shabbat in obedience to the biblical command not to work on the day.

Their followers displayed their displeasure by hurling stones at police and setting fire to municipal property across the city. In one clash, a six-year-old boy and five police officers were lightly wounded.

In another part of town, a young Orthodox Jewish man fell from a fence while trying to join a demonstration and suffered serious injuries.

Police arrested at least 60 Orthodox demonstrators before community leaders finally succeeded in convincing the rioters to return home.

An ultra-orthodox woman whose arrest on suspicion of starving her child sparked violent protests is to be freed into the custody of a Jerusalem rabbi.

Agreement to the move by a court and religious leaders aims to end clashes between orthodox Jews and police.

The detention of the woman, said to suffer from mental illness, had enraged the orthodox community.

But they are also angry at what they see as continuing interference by Israeli authorities in their community.

Some 18 police officers were injured in clashes overnight on Thursday and into Friday morning, police said.

More than 30 demonstrators were arrested and a further 20 held for questioning.
Dustbins were set on fire and stones hurled as protesters confronted police in two ultra-orthodox neighbourhoods, Mea Shearim and Bar-Ilan.