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6 arrested at chaotic protest outside Justice Minister’s home

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Yariv Levin extracted from his home, whisked away in waiting police vehicle as protesters clash with cops.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

At least six protesters against the judicial reform were arrested outside of Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s home on Monday morning, after they blocked the lawmaker from leaving his residence and clashed with police officers.

Demonstrators from the Brothers in Arms protest group formed a human chain around Levin’s house in the central Israel city of Modi’in, the day before a major Supreme Court hearing which may invalidate one of the few judicial reform laws successfully passed by the government.

Yaron Kramer, a senior organizer from Brothers in Arms, told Channel 12 News that he and other protesters had prevented Levin from being able to leave his home or access his parking spot.

“Security guards rescued Levin through the back entrance,” he said, confirming Hebrew-language media reports that the minister was extracted from the fray and whisked away by police in a waiting vehicle.

Kramer complained that the protesters had been “violently dispersed” by police, claiming that the force used by officers was unnecessary.

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“Our goal was to create a protest and roadblocks,” he said. “We did not use violence against the minister or police.”

Footage from the scene circulating on social media depicts demonstrators laying on the ground and refusing commands to move, as well as forcefully resisting police officers attempting to pick them up.

Another protester, who did not give his name, told Channel 12 that Levin was the “true acting prime minister of Israel,” charging that Benjamin Netanyahu is afraid of the lawmaker.

He referred to the cancellation of the “reasonableness clause,” which allowed judges to make legal rulings based on subjective, personal feelings of whether or not a particular government decision was sensible, as “dictatorial.”

The demonstrator referred to the current right-wing coalition, which was democratically elected, as a “Kahanist coup” attempting to “dismantle democracy.”

Earlier this year, anti-judicial reform demonstrators targeted Levin’s home, blocking roads and lighting fires. Several people were also arrested at that protest.