Israel Police struggle to remove protesters from Ayalon highway

Roads across Israel were closed to traffic on Thursday morning in light of the nation's third "Day of Disruption" as Israelis throughout the country stage protests against the judicial reforms. 

Protesters blocked the exit off the Ayalon highway during judicial reform demonstrations on Thursday morning, according to Israeli media. Walla! reported that the highway was blocked southbound. 

Later in the afternoon, protesters belonging to the 'Brothers in arms' protest group blocked a train in Herzliya from leaving the station. "We are stopping this train just like we will stop the legislative train that is tearing the people apart. Israel will not be a dictatorship," they said.

Bnei Brak's Jerusalem St. from Hebron St. to Weinberg St. was also closed to traffic in light of the protests, according to a Thursday morning update from the Israel Police. 

In the evening, Ynet News reported that Highway 4 was blocked by 400 protesters at Acre East junction and at Hadrorim junction near Even Yehuda. Hundreds of protesters blocked Karkur junction near Pardes Hanna at the same time.

Highway 2 was also closed to traffic southbound on Thursday morning beginning near the town of Beit Herut, according to Walla! News. Israeli media also reported that Highway 4 was closed southbound beginning at the town of Even Yehuda.

Namir intersection in Tel Aviv was closed to traffic as well on Thursday morning, but began to open up slowly around 10:20 a.m. according to KAN news. Israel Police also reported that HaSha'on Square in Tel Aviv was closed.

Beginning at 9 a.m., the following roads in Tel Aviv are expected to be closed:

Tel Aviv's Kaplan St. between Menachem Begin Rd. and Ibn Gvrion St. will be closed in both directions. Additionally, traffic northbound from the intersection between Menachem Begin Rd. and Kaplan St. will be closed; traffic will be redirected. 

HaShalom bridge ramps will be closed north and southbound - it will not be possible to exit onto Highway 20 from there. 

Traffic will be closed westbound and southbound from the intersection of Yigal Alon St. and HaShalom Rd. There will also be redirection of traffic around the Yigal Alon St.-Totseret ha-Arets St. intersetion and the HaShalom St.- Totseret ha-Arets St. intersection. 

HaShalom St. will be closed eastbound from its intersection with Aliyat HaNo'ar St. 

Traffic will be closed southbound from the Yigal Alon St.-Yitzhak Sade Rd. intersection, as well as northbound from the Yitzhak Sade Rd.-HaMasger St. intersection 

There will be no exit onto HaMasger St. from Ben Avigdor St. 

An early start to the day

The "Day of Disruption" kicked off earlier than planned early on Thursday morning when dozens of Israeli artists painted a red line on the road to Israel's High Court of Justice in Jerusalem. 

Launching another day of marches, demonstrations and road closures as part of the nationwide judicial reform protest, the artists' demonstration represents the "inseparable connection between an independent judiciary and the freedoms of speech and expression through art, leisure, culture and sports," as per protest organizers.

Five of the artists were arrested, Israel Police reported. The protesters noted in a statement that the paint used was designed specifically for the demonstration, noting that it is "easy to paint over."

Tel Aviv University students placed barbed wire fences at the entrance to the university on Thursday morning, according to a report from the student protest organizers. "We are putting up a barricade to protect freedom of speech and freedom of the press," the organizers told the media, "against the unbridled power that the government intends to acquire for itself in this wave of legislation."

Elsewhere in Israel, Israel Navy reservists blocked entry to the Haifa Port for commercial ships early on Thursday morning. "The Navy will not sail into a dictatorship," signs hung on the reservists' boats read. The blockages were reported to be cleared by 10:15 a.m.

Israeli media reported on Thursday morning that IDF reservists attempted to open a military recruitment office in front of the B'nei Brak city hall as part of their judicial reform protest efforts. The reservists were quoted by Maariv as saying, "We came to transfer the burden of enlistment to the ultra-Orthodox population, because if there will be a dictatorship, we will need to come here and enlist [soldiers]. We repeat that without democracy, there is no 'People's Army.'"

Also on Thursday morning, approximately 150 military reservists including Lt.-Col. Alon Even-Chen set up a "guard post" in front of the Rehovot Magistrate's Court, according to Israeli media. 

Israeli children and parents also held a protest on Thursday morning at HaBima Square in Tel Aviv. 

Not ready to live in a dictatorship

"The Netanyahu government has decided to kick into fifth gear, with the aim of overthrowing Israeli democracy into chaos," protest leaders were quoted by N12 as saying.

"The disruptions are being carried out by tens of thousands of Israeli men and women who are not ready to live in a dictatorship," the protest organizers stated. 

There will be several centers of protest, in the north, south and center of the country. There will also be demonstrations in front of various embassies.