Israelis step up protests over govt’s overhaul

Weeks of anti-government protests in Israel turned violent on Wednesday for the first time as police fired stun grenades and a water cannon at demonstrators who blocked a Tel Aviv highway. The crackdown came shortly after Israel’s hard-line security minister urged a tough response to what he said= were “anarchists.”

The violence came as thousands across the country launched a “national disruption day” against the government’s plan to overhaul Israel’s judicial system. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allies say the program is meant reduce the influence of unelected judges