Armenian, Greek and Syrian priests fist fight at Jesus tomb in Jerusalem

Christian Armenian worshippers scuffle with police officers inside the church of the Holy Sepulcher in front of the aedicule during the Orthodox Easter Palm Sunday procession on 20 April 2008 in Jerusalem's Old City.
Police rushed into Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulcher to break up fist fights between dozens of Greek and Armenian worshipers marking the Orthodox Palm Sunday, witnesses said.

20 April 2008

By The Associated Press

JERUSALEM - Greek and Armenian priests came to blows on Christianity's holiest site on Palm Sunday over who will get to spend more time at the traditional tomb of Jesus.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem's Old City is jointly administrated by different Christian denominations. Fights often erupt during religious ceremonies over shared space or time.

Witnesses say an angry Armenian priest physically dragged a Greek priest out of the tomb area because he felt the clergyman had overstayed his time. A fistfight erupted, worshippers joined in, and subsequently police was summoned to break up the scuffle.

Two Armenian worshippers were detained by police. Scores of Armenians staged a protest outside the police station.

The denominations run the church according to a three centuries-old arrangement.

Note:

Syrian Orthodox Christians, where apparently also involved in the fist fight with the Greek and Armenian priests.

Furthermore, these fights’ happen about every year.