Masses of ultra-Orthodox worshipers crowded onto Mount Meron on Monday night to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Lag B’Omer in a show of brazen defiance after authorities attempted to limit the annual festivities at the northern site due to fear of Hezbollah rocket fire.

In footage posted online, crowds could be seen streaming into the complex — traditionally thought to be the resting place of the 2nd-century Jewish sage Shimon Bar Yochai — and gathering around a central bonfire lit outside the tomb.

Thumping music played in the background, and in some footage, individuals could be seen overturning fences intended to limit the number of people in the area.

Authorities announced Sunday that annual celebrations at the hilltop complex would be drastically scaled back, after the IDF Home Front Command re-tightened restrictions in northern Israel, limiting outdoor public gatherings to 200 people and indoor gatherings to 600 people, down from 1,500.

The decision meant that instead of the usual mass celebration — attended by over 100,000 people each year — three officially approved bonfire lightings were scheduled to take place atop Mount Meron, each hosting 200 people.

Police closed all roads leading to Meron on Sunday and erected barriers aimed at preventing any would-be revellers from reaching the area. But as many as 20,000 people were estimated to have already arrived in Meron in anticipation of Monday’s festivities, and no effort was made to clear them from the area.

Despite the oversight, the police insisted on Monday afternoon that enough had been done to keep pilgrims away. They denied reports indicating that thousands had already snuck into the complex, and that thousands more were on their way, driving as far as they could and then walking the remainder of the route.

“The entry of thousands of people into the Meron area has so far been prevented, and the arrival of hundreds of buses traveling in violation of the [Home Front Command] guidelines has been thwarted,” police claimed in a statement, reiterating that hundreds of police officers were present to block anyone from........

© The Times of Israel