Israeli police have clashed with demonstrators who staged mass rallies to protest persisting high costs of living and social injustice in Israel.

Israeli police arrested about 40 protesters in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Reuters reported quoting police sources.

Demonstrators blocked traffic on a main street and broke into city hall after municipal workers pulled down many tents and removed furniture from two locations where tent protests had been set up.

Protests erupted in Israel in mid-July as activists began setting up tents in Tel Aviv to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s economic and social policies.

The movement has snowballed into an expansive mobilization of Israel’s middle class. Until Wednesday’s clash, none of the protests had been violent.

On Saturday, over 400,000 took to the streets against the Netanyahu government in the largest such demonstration in Israel’s history, reports say.

The persistent demonstrations have posed a big challenge to Netanyahu, who is halfway into his term.

(Press TV)