Holy Fire celebrated by Christians in Jerusalem amid Israeli police restrictions

BBC reported that thousands of Christians filled Jerusalem’s Old City on Saturday for an important Orthodox Easter ritual, despite restrictions by Israeli police.

The Holy Fire ceremony drew huge crowds to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in occupied East Jerusalem, where Israeli Police control security. It sits on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried.

Police had limited attendance to 1,800 people inside and 1,200 outside, citing safety reasons. Church leaders urged Christians to ignore restrictions and criticised the police presence at the event.

The Holy Fire ritual can be traced back centuries and typically takes place amid packed crowds in the holiest site in Christianity. Christian pilgrims from around the world travel for the ceremony, which symbolises Jesus’s resurrection.