Israeli Protesters Block Central Highway in Tel Aviv

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - People protesting against the controversial judicial reform in Israel have blocked the main highway in Tel Aviv, a Sputnik correspondent reports.

Over 100,000 people gathered for a protest in central Tel Aviv on the 27th consecutive Saturday. Most of the demonstrators dispersed on Saturday night, but a group of protesters blocked the Ayalon Highway, shouting anti-government slogans.

Police forces have been pulled to the Ayalon Highway, but no measures have been taken to disperse the demonstrators yet, according to a Sputnik correspondent.

Last Saturday, about 130,000 people protested against the judicial reform in Tel Aviv alone, with a total of 300,000 having protested across Israel.

Earlier this week, Israeli police used water cannons to disperse protesters who blocked the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv in response to the removal of the city's police chief Ami Eshed.

In late March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the suspension of the legislative process on judicial reform in order to negotiate and reach a compromise with its opponents. The decision came against the backdrop of major nationwide protests against the reform. Despite the suspension, protesters continue to take to the streets, fearing that the reform will undermine democracy in Israel and bring the country to the brink of a social and constitutional crisis.

Netanyahu said at the end of June that the Israeli government would drop the most controversial part of the judicial reform designed to enable the parliament (Knesset) to override the rulings of the Supreme Court.