JERUSALEM - Tens of thousands of Israelis on Saturday night protested in Tel Aviv against the new right-wing government's plans to fundamentally overhaul the judicial system, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to weaken the country's democratic institutions just weeks after returning to power.
The protest was organised by grassroots activists and backed by the leaders of Israel's centrist and left-wing opposition parties. The Israeli news media estimated a turnout of 80,000 people by 8.30pm, despite a steady rain, and thousands more joined protests in Jerusalem and Haifa.
The protests were an early indication of the backlash facing the government, the sixth led by Mr Netanyahu, and a clear illustration of widening political division and polarisation in Israel.
Mr Netanyahu, barely three weeks after his government was sworn in, is seeking to curb the powers of the country's Supreme Court and has argued that the top court has too much influence.
Critics call the move a power grab that would limit judicial independence and oversight and give politicians the upper hand in appointing judges and government attorneys.
Mr Ehud Barak, a former Israeli prime minister and former army chief of staff, who attended the protest in Tel Aviv, said Mr Netanyahu's proposals would "crush" the judicial system.
"We won't let that happen," he said on Israeli television.
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