In pics | Nearly 40 arrested after 'illegal' judicial overhaul protest at Israel international airport

Chaos erupted at Israel's international Ben Gurion Airport, on Monday (July 3) after thousands of anti-government protesters rallied and hours later clashed with the police.

This comes amid calls to drop the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu government's plan to overhaul the judiciary. 

According to Israeli media reports, 37 protesters were arrested for disturbing the peace after demonstrators blocked access to the terminal for most flights in and out of the country.

According to Israeli media reports, some 15,000 protesters gathered at the airport for a demonstration which in the late afternoon and continued into the night. This led to massive traffic jams and even delayed some flights by hours.

Notably, the airport handles over 90,000 passengers a day who are scheduled to arrive and depart on some 550 flights. However, airport officials did not report any major delays or disruptions due to the protest. 

Earlier, on Monday, some protesters had even briefly shut off access to Haifa port, a major Israeli seaport. 

According to media reports, Israeli police clashed with the protesters outside who were overflowing on the sidewalk carrying flags, blowing horns and banging drums.

They also raised slogans and chanted "Democracy!". Eventually, dozens entered the arrivals hall dancing and blocked the airport's main Terminal 3. 

Meanwhile, officers were seen dragging people out of the airport amid chants of “Democracy!” and “This government is criminal,” as per Israeli media reports.

The Israeli police also barricaded the area and lined the road as vehicles slowly drove past while some Horse-mounted police were called to stand guard. 

Several unsuspecting international tourists who were visiting Israel, some of them for the first time, were welcomed by thousands of chanting and shouting protesters. 

"I’m awfully scared. I’ve never experienced anything like this before," said 18-year-old Ella Cohen, a student from a British university in London who was visiting Israel for the first time, as quoted by Times of Israel. 

Meanwhile, not all Israelis were in support of the protests like the Haroush family which termed it a “a disgrace and an embarrassment.”

"This is the welcome we are giving tourists? What are they going to say about Israel," said the family matriarch, as quoted by Times of Israel. 

Hours after the protest began, the Israeli police declare the anti-government "illegal" after the protesters crossed the barricades, blocked roads and entered Terminal 3. 

The declaration paved the way for them to use force to disperse the demonstrators. The police also said that some demonstrators dragged plants into the streets to create barricades.

Earlier, the police had stressed that they would uphold demonstrators’ right to protest while also maintaining public order.

Authorities had also assured that they would keep the airport running and would try to limit the protest to a designated area at Terminal 1.

Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had also said that any attempt to paralyse the mid-sized Ben Gurion would amount to "harm to national security". 

The Israeli police had said 37 protesters were arrested for disturbing the peace. 

This comes after protesters had also faced calls to stop the rally due to the Israeli counterterror operation in the West Bank's Jenin. 

The organisers of the protest said they chose to target the airport as it "symbolizes that Israel is a flourishing liberal and democratic nation." 

This is not the first time that Israel's Ben Gurion International airport has been targeted by protesters. 

Earlier this year, Israeli protesters stormed the airport in a bid to disrupt a visit by the United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who eventually cut his trip short. 

Additionally, demonstrators also tried to prevent Netanyahu from taking off for talks in Italy. However, the Israeli PM took a helicopter to Ben Gurion and then flew to Rome.