Demonstrators protesting the reform of the judicial system mobilized this afternoon across Israel after parliament approved in first reading a controversial article promoted by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

The organizers of this protest movement, which has been attended by tens of thousands of people every week for months, announced that they have blockaded strategic points in northern and southern Israel.

Police announced that they had arrested 66 protesters for “disturbance of public order”.

“I came here because the government is completely destroying democracy in Israel”, said Eitan Gallon, a doctor participating in a demonstration on a highway outside Jerusalem. “We will continue the struggle until the end,” he added, as police fired water cannons to break up the gathering.

Afternoon, protesters gathered at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Avivshouting anti-reform slogans.

Late last night the Knesset approved in first reading a measure that removes the judiciary’s ability to rule on the “reasonableness” of government decisions. The measure was voted by 64 MPs (who have the government majority) while the 56 MPs of the opposition voted against it. Today, after noon, the consultation resumed in a parliamentary committee, around this measure to be introduced for its final approval by the Knesset on a date that has not yet been determined.

Earlier, the head of the Histadrout union appealed to the prime minister to “stop the chaos” hinting that he could put pressure on the government if he went ahead with the reform. “Mr. Prime Minister, the ball is in your court,” Arnon Bar-David said at a press conference in Tel Aviv. “End the senseless chaos within Israeli society as soon as possible. “When I feel that all options have been exhausted and the situation has reached a point of no return, we will intervene and use our force,” threatened Bar-David, who in March had called a general strike, days before Netanyahu announced a “pause” in the reform process.

For his part, opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the government of not keeping its promises: “You promised to help the weak and protect Israel’s security (…) you are doing nothing but madness,” he said, referring in the reform.