Easter Pilgrims Parade in Jerusalem

Under heavy security a day after religious riots, pilgrims from around the world carted wooden crosses through Jerusalem’s Old City on Good Friday to commemorate the passion and death of Jesus.

The traditional procession route along the Via Dolorosa, or Way of Sorrow, was jammed with people praying and singing. The narrow street echoed with chants in Greek, English, Spanish, Italian and Arabic.

Security was heavier than usual following riots in the Arab Christian quarter of the old, walled city a day earlier.

Among those standing with candles watching today’s procession was Rene Koutroulis of New York City, who was pleased to see people from different Christian sects worshiping together.

“Everybody, I think, is united, and I see on their faces that they came in good faith,” said Koutroulis. “Today we are united. Tomorrow we may fight again.”

Israeli police Thursday fired tear gas and rubber bullets to break up demonstrations by Greek Orthodox clerics and stone-throwing Palestinian youths protesting the establishment of a Jewish settlement in the Christian quarter.

A court ruling late Thursday ordered the settlers out and appeared to cool tempers among the protesters. The settlers said they will appeal the decision.

Scores of police and paramilitary border troops armed with assault rifles and tear-gas grenades patrolled the Old City today. No major incidents were reported.

Still, pilgrims who paraded to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the basilica that covers the tomb of Christ, were reminded of the Holy Land’s political problems.

A Palestinian flag, hung surreptitiously overnight by Arab activists, flew throughout Good Friday from the cross atop the venerated church. Palestinian flags are outlawed in Israel.

Jerusalem’s Old City is divided into jealously guarded ethnic quarters that are home to 50,000 Muslims, about 7,000 Christians and 4,000 Jews.

The entire area is caught up in the Israeli-Palestinian problem since the Old City is part of the land captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war.

Lidwien van Dongen, 27, of Denhaag, the Netherlands, said she was “very impressed that people from all over the world come to Jerusalem to walk the way Jesus walked.”

Mervat Azer, a travel agent from Jersey City, N.J., said she had not been able to anticipate the beauty of Jerusalem or the feelings she would experience praying here.

“We are praying near the place where Christ was buried,” she said. “Tomorrow his light will be very bright.”

Although Thursday’s violence had ended by the time of the Christian processions, the day was not without moments of drama.

At one point, a man whose clothes were splattered with blood and mud ran through the crowd of pilgrims. It turned out to be Swedish actor Dolph Lundgren, who was being filmed by an American crew for the movie “Cover Up,” about a journalist in Israel.