One of the largest technology companies in the world is keeping its Jerusalem factory open on Saturdays, for now, despite violent protests by ultra-Othodox Jews who say it violates the Jewish Sabbath.

On Saturday about 1,500 protesters gathered outside Intel Corp.'s plant in the Israeli capital, which is located in an industrial zone near ultra-Orthodox neighbourhoods.

Kobi Bachar, a spokesperson for the company, said the demonstration was a response to Intel opening a new facility at the site. He added that the company has no plans to change its operating schedule.

"Nothing has changed," Bachar said. "We have been open there for 24 years in accordance with the law."

Intel says that processing silicon for computer chips must be done around the clock. If the demonstrations continue, the company has threatened to close down production in Israel permanently.

Businesses that open on Saturdays in Jerusalem are often the target of ultra-Orthodox Jewish activists. Most businesses shut down in the city from sundown on Friday until Saturday evening.

Over the past several months, ultra-Orthodox Jews have also protested over a municipal parking lot that stays open on Saturdays, and demonstrations have been known to turn violent.

About a third of the city's residents are ultra-Orthodox, and relations with their secular counterparts can be delicate.

Last year, a secular Jew was elected the city's mayor, succeeding an ultra-Orthodox incumbent. But the influence of secular residents may wane as their numbers drop. As many as 7,000 secular Jews leave the city each year, while the number of ultra-Orthodox Jerusalemites is on the rise.

Some say secular Jews are leaving because of the religious pressure.

"When you're not religious, you feel kind of a minority, just being pushed out," Gill Shtenfeld, an industrial designer who recently moved out of Jerusalem, told CTV News.

However, some experts say it's the economy, not religious animosity that is behind the exodus.

"For people (who) leave Jerusalem the most important reason is to find work," said Ira Sharkansky, a political scientist at Hebrew University.

Workplaces that choose to open during the Jewish Sabbath tend to be located far from ultra-Orthodox areas of Jerusalem to avoid conflict.

Less religious Jewish residents say business owners should have a choice about whether to close on Saturdays. The ultra-Orthodox view is that Jews working on the sacred day represents a violation of religious law.

With a report by CTV's Janet Dirks and files from The Associated Press