Protests over legal overhaul in Israel turn violent as police fire stun grenades

Israelis react to stun grenades fired by police during a protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government to overhaul the judicial system (Oded Balilty/AP)

Weeks of anti-government protests in Israel have turned violent for the first time as police fired stun grenades and a water cannon at demonstrators who blocked a road in Tel Aviv.

The crackdown came shortly after Israel’s hard-line security minister urged a tough response to what he said are “anarchists”.