Protesters in Israel block roads, Haifa marine port on 'Day of Disruption'

Thousands of protestors rallied on Thursday across Israel blocking major highway junctions, and Haifa marine port in what has been dubbed a “Day of Disruption” against the Benjamin Netanyahu government’s judicial overhaul plan.

The day started with marches by parents and their children. Marches started at schools, converging toward central meeting points around the country. Many work places are closed, with employees either striking or having received a day off to join the protest.

Demonstrators have gathered at the main routes in Tel Aviv, at central highway exits in the suburbs of Tel Aviv and in the center of Jerusalem, blocking traffic and waving Israeli flags. Police have managed to open some of the routes, but other spots are still blocked. In several places, police are enabling some of the demonstrations and marches to take place.

Early Thursday, demonstrators blocked the entrance to the port in Haifa. Dozens of small boats sailed at the seaside entrance of the port, disrupting marine traffic. The protesters were for the most part naval reservist soldiers and officers, and members of the “Brothers in Arms” protest group, including two former Israel Defense Forces naval corps commanders. The protesters carried signs that read, “In a dictatorship, the sea is closed.”