On Monday, a massive protest movement in Israel threatened to disrupt the economy as tens of thousands of Israelis gathered outside parliament and workers launched a nationwide strike.

The movement aimed to put a halt to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to overhaul the judiciary, which have been met with growing resistance, the Associated Press reported.

The protest caused significant disruptions, including the grounding of departing flights from the country’s main international airport, closures of large mall chains and universities, and a call for 800,000 members of Israel’s largest trade union to stop work in various fields such as health, transit, banking, and more.

Diplomats also walked off the job at foreign missions, and local governments were expected to close their preschools and other services, as reported by the AP.

The protests intensified after Netanyahu fired his defense minister for calling for a pause to the overhaul, prompting tens of thousands of people to take to the streets nationwide in a spontaneous display of anger.

They chanted “the country is on fire” and lit bonfires on Tel Aviv’s main highway, leading to road closures and disruptions throughout the country for hours.

Written by staff