Anti-judicial reform protesters gathered in front of the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on Monday evening, a day before the High Court of Justice was set to hear a landmark case on the law limiting the reasonableness standard.
Trains headed to Jerusalem were filled with people, with video from Jerusalem's Yitzhak Navon train station showing heavy crowds arriving at the station.
A number of protest leaders and politicians were set to speak at the protest at the central stage in front of the Supreme Court. After the speeches, protest movements planned a march toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence on Aza Street.
During the protest, the Begin highway was blocked for a short amount of time by protesters.
Amit Bachar, the head of the Israel Bar Association, stated that the opinion of most legal experts is that the High Court of Justice can review basic laws.
"These are days in which ministers give speeches and threaten judges and the attorney general, the way criminal organizations speak and not ministers," said Bachar.
Bachar pointed to what he called "false attempts to portray the judges as people acting against the will of the people," stating "there is no lie greater or more evil than this. The judges of Israel are the representatives of the people. They protect the people and the democratic regime."
Shortly before the protest, student protest movements marched from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's campus in Givat Ram toward the Supreme Court. The students carried about 40 posters of an exhibition called "Draw me a fist."
"We came from all over the country to Jerusalem to stand like a wall on the side of democracy, in front of a government that proves again and again that it is hostile to the country, its residents, and even Zionism," said the student protest movements. "Once, when Winston Churchill was required to give up the culture budget in favor of increasing the army budget, He said, 'If we don't have a culture, what are we fighting for?' Therefore, right now, our protest must include creativity, art, and liveliness, in the face of a government that seeks to dismantle the Israeli mosaic."
Earlier on Monday, protesters from the Brothers in Arms protest group demonstrated outside the home of Justice Minister Yariv Levin in Modi'in. Six protesters were arrested on suspicion of disturbing the peace and blocking roads.
What is the High Court case about?
On Tuesday, the High Court of Justice will hear petitions against the reasonableness standard law, which restricts in what cases the courts can review government administrative decisions deemed "unreasonable."
The bill was the first part of the government's judicial reform plan to pass. The bill was passed as an amendment to the Basic Law: The Judiciary, meaning that if the court decides to strike down the amendment, it will be the first time the courts have ever struck down a basic law.
Many members of the coalition have warned that they will not abide by the court's ruling if the amendment is struck down.