Ultra-Orthodox Jews have thrown stones and vegetables at Israeli police who replied with water canons at a protest against the opening of a car park in Jerusalem.

The clashes at the Israeli city hall building on Saturday broke out after the protesters complained that the opening contravened religious law by occurring on the Jewish Sabbath.

"We [initially] understood this will be a quiet protest, that they will come and hold a prayer. When the people got here, we realised that things were different," Bruno Stein, a police officer, said.

"We tried hard to hold ourselves in order to allow them to protest, but at the end of the day we had to use force in order to push them away," he said.

"I can say they have used very strong violence against the policemen, kicked them, spat on them and hurled stones and other objects towards them."

Arrests

At least six officers were injured and six demonstrators were arrested, Micky Rosenfeld, a police spokesman, said.

It is forbidden to drive or work on the Sabbath according to ancient religious law, and most public buildings are closed at that time.

The minority Orthodox Jews believe that the religious laws should be adhered to throughout Israel.

Some witnesses said that about 3,000 protesters were involved, although this was not confirmed by police.

Demonstrators initially tried to break past a police cordon and into the car park under the city hall building, Rosenfeld said.

However, the police pushed them back to surrounding streets and the stone throwing and use of water canons ensued.

Rosenfeld said that confrontations occurred in other neighbourhoods in the city, which is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims.