For the past seven months, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to protest the far-right government’s effort to weaken the country’s Supreme Court and grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political allies more power.
They’ve closed highways. They’ve shut down the country’s largest airport. And they’ve vowed to keep demonstrating for as long as it takes for the government to abandon its plans. It’s a mass movement that has brought together people from across Israeli society.
On Monday, thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, as lawmakers voted to limit the Supreme Court’s ability to strike down government actions. This is the 29th consecutive week of protests.
Some 80,000 people gathered in Tel Aviv, the heart of the movement, to protest the proposed reforms. Among them were politicians and officials from the judiciary.
That number doubled just over a month later, as 160,000 people took part in demonstrations in Tel Aviv, in the largest protest yet.
Police violently cracked down on protesters, using stun grenades and water cannons. At least 40 people were arrested, and 11 were hospitalized with injuries stemming from the violent confrontations.
About a week later, some 100 active, reserve and veteran soldiers joined the demonstrations. One commander was arrested.
The demonstrators shut down highways and swarmed the international airport near Tel Aviv, where Netanyahu was set to depart for Rome.
Protesters shut down the country’s airport, and a massive national strike brought the economy to a standstill.
The unrest pushed Netanyahu to announce a delay in the judicial reforms.
As the prime minister resumed his political push, however, demonstrators kept up the pressure. Over the weekend they participated in a multiday march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Ahead of the vote, protesters linked themselves together to form a human chain in Jerusalem. Many from outside the city formed a huge tent encampment just a short distance from the Knesset.
As the reforms passed, limiting the country’s Supreme Court power, demonstrations continued.
Video on Twitter appeared to show authorities spraying demonstrators with a liquid known as “the skunk,” a foul-smelling substance used by Israeli authorities for crowd control.
Protests are expected to continue, and the country’s largest labor federation may declare a general strike, shutting down business across Israel.
