Israel's parliament on Monday ratified the first bill of a judicial overhaul sought by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after last-gasp compromise efforts collapsed and failed to ease a constitutional crisis that has convulsed the country for months.
The amendment limiting the Supreme Court's powers to void some government decisions the court deems "unreasonable" passed by a 64-to-0 vote after opposition lawmakers abandoned the session in protest, some of them shouting, "For shame!"
Demonstrations against the amendment began early in the day, with police dragging away protesters who had chained themselves to posts and blocked the road outside parliament. By evening, thousands had taken to the streets across the country, blocking highways and scuffling with police. Israeli police said at least 19 people had been arrested on Monday.
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