Tens of thousands of protesters have marched in Jerusalem to demand that ultra-Orthodox Jewish people remain exempt from Israeli military service.

Approximately 200,000 people, mostly men clad in traditional black suits and hats carrying placards denouncing conscription, brought West Jerusalem to a standstill Thursday, clogging roads and setting fire to pieces of tarpaulin, local media reported.

At least 2,000 police officers were mobilised to respond to the demonstration.

One teenager died at the largely peaceful protest after falling from a building under construction next to the protest, police said.

Banners seen at the protest declared: “The people are with the Torah” and “Closing the yeshiva — a death sentence for Judaism.”

The mass demonstration follows a recent crackdown, with

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