Christian faithful mark Easter in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (AP) - Christian worshipers gathered in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepluchre, the traditional site of Jesus's crucifixion, burial and resurrection, on Sunday to observe the Easter holiday.

Thousands of people participated in mass at the church in the historic Old City, home to holy sites to the three monotheistic faiths. Tens of thousands have come to Jerusalem for the holidays now that most coronavirus restrictions have been lifted.

Sunday is Easter in the Western Christian calendar, and is Palm Sunday for Eastern Orthodox Christians. This year the holiday coincides with the Jewish holiday of Passover and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan for the first time in over three decades.

Elsewhere in the Old City, Palestinian protesters clashed with police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after officers closed the flashpoint shrine, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, to allow Jewish visitors.