Tens of thousands in Tel Aviv protest planned legal reforms

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv against Israel's right-wing government under Benjamin Netanyahu.

The protests were mainly focused on legal reforms planned by Justice Minister Yariv Levin that will deliberately weaken the judicial system.

Saturday's demonstration was the largest so far against the new government that was sworn in at the end of December. Protests were also held in Haifa and Jerusalem.

The Tel Aviv rally, which drew some 80,000 people according to reports, began in the central square in front of the Habima National Theatre.

The demonstrators then marched through the streets chanting "democracy" and waving blue and white Israeli flags. One poster read, "the state is not your toy."

Netanyahu's government plans dramatic court reforms. Levin wants to make it possible for a majority in parliament to overrule the Supreme Court's decisions.

He also wants to change the composition of the body that appoints judges.

He has accused the Supreme Court of excessive interference in political decisions in the past.

On Thursday, Esther Hayut, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, warned of a "fatal blow" to judicial independence in an uncharacteristically sharply-worded speech.

She said the planned reforms would completely distort Israel's democratic identity. Levin accused her of siding with the opposition.

Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, announced a crackdown on demonstrators at the beginning of the week.

Several of the ministers in Netanyahu's new religiously conservative Cabinet are ultra-nationalists and the government is the most far-right Israel has ever had.