Jerusalem ( CNN ) -- Israeli security forces halted Palestinian Christians -- joined by a U.N. envoy -- participating a pre-Easter procession Saturday in Jerusalem 's Old City , an action the envoy sharply criticized but that an Israeli official dismissed as a `` non-event . '' Robert Serry , the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process , was among a large , tightly packed group trying to walk together on what is Holy Saturday on the Christian calendar . A woman yells out at one point , `` They are preventing us from accessing our churches to pray . '' Some time later , the people are stopped by security forces . Barricades are set up , only to be picked up and taken away . There 's also some pushing and shoving before the scene eventually calms down . The special coordinator 's office explained that the group had intended to move from the area 's New Gate to the Holy Sepulchre `` at the invitation of the Palestinian Christian community in Jerusalem . '' It said the group had been earlier given `` assurances ... of unhindered access , '' only to have `` the Israeli police refuse ... to allow such entry claiming they had orders to that effect . '' Serry expressed `` dismay '' over the incident , adding , `` I call on all parties to respect the right of religious freedom , granting access to holy sites for worshippers of all faiths and refraining from provocations , not least during the religious holidays . '' Yet Israel 's government saw the matter in a different light . Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor -- in a message retweeted by Israel Defense Forces spokesman Peter Lerner -- said , `` UN envoy # RobertSerry shows poor judgment in fabricating an incident out of a non-event , mishandling sensitive issue of religious freedom . '' Palmor told the Jerusalem Post that police were acting to limit the number of those packed into the church and the narrow streets around it , dismissing what happened as `` a micro-incident . '' This incident is not Serry 's first run-in with authorities : The U.N. envoy said he was threatened by armed men in Crimea , which broke away from Ukraine and joined Russia . Whatever its origins or conclusions , Saturday 's ordeal did not prevent other activities in and around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre , which is where many Christians believe Jesus was buried and rose from the dead . On Saturday , the church once again was home to the Holy Fire ceremony , including the sight of dozens of people holding candles or small torches . CNN 's Kareem Khadder reported from Jerusalem ; Greg Botelho wrote and reported from Atlanta . CNN 's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report .
With envoy Robert Cohen , a group of Palestinian Christians proceed through the Old City . A woman says the group wants to get into a ` ` to pray '' ; Israeli police block them . He says he 's sorry , urges respect for ` ` religious freedom , '' no ` ` provocations '' An Israeli official told a newspaper police were limiting the crowd , calling it a ` ` non - event ''