Thousands of Israelis have turned out for a “Flag March” celebration, commemorating the day when Israel seized control of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War.

Participants marched through the city waving blue and white Israeli flags on Wednesday in a procession that ended at the Western Wall, a Jewish holy site. Israeli media estimated crowds totaling at least 25,000.

Israeli officials had heightened security for the procession to avoid confrontations as the marchers passed through Palestinian neighborhoods, but police reported only minor confrontations.

Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, but Israel wants to keep control of the entire city. In a speech late Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that the Jewish people will preserve the unity of the city.