Demonstrators block highways and shut down journey in Illinois, California, New York and the Pacific Northwest.
Professional-Palestinian protesters have blocked main roads within the states of Illinois, California, New York and the Pacific Northwest, quickly stopping journey into a number of the United States’s most closely used airports, onto the Golden Gate and Brooklyn bridges and alongside a busy West Coast freeway.
In Chicago, protesters linked arms and blocked lanes of Interstate 190 main into O’Hare Worldwide Airport at about 7am (12:00 GMT) on Monday in an indication they mentioned was a part of a world “financial blockade to free Palestine”, based on Rifqa Falaneh, one of many organisers.
Protesters say they selected O’Hare partially as a result of it is among the largest airports within the US. Dozens have been arrested, based on Falaneh. Chicago police mentioned that “a number of folks” have been taken into custody after a protest the place folks obstructed visitors however didn’t present an in depth depend.
In California, demonstrators blocked lanes on the northbound I-880 in Oakland by chaining themselves to barrels, whereas a separate group of protesters with banners disrupted visitors on the southbound lanes. On the Golden Gate Bridge, protesters impeded visitors in each instructions, displaying a banner that learn, “Cease the world for Gaza.”
In Eugene, Oregon, protesters blocked Interstate 5, shutting down visitors on the foremost freeway for about 45 minutes.
In the meantime, on the East Coast, protesters marching into Brooklyn blocked Manhattan-bound visitors on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Antiwar protesters have held demonstrations in Chicago practically day by day since Hamas’s October 7 assault on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 folks, triggered an Israeli assault on Gaza that has killed greater than 33,700 Palestinians, based on the Gaza Ministry of Well being.
O’Hare warned travellers on social platform X to seek out alternative routes to get to the airport, with automotive journey “considerably delayed this morning attributable to protest exercise”.
Some travellers caught in standstill visitors left their automobiles and walked the ultimate leg to the airport alongside the freeway, trailing their baggage behind them.
“This was an inconvenience,” Madeline Hannan from suburban Chicago mentioned in a phone interview as she was heading to Florida. “However within the grand scheme of issues happening abroad, it’s a minor inconvenience.”
Inbound visitors in the direction of O’Hare resumed at about 9am (14:00 GMT).
Arrests and requires Gaza ceasefire
Close to Seattle, the Washington State Division of Transportation mentioned an indication closed the primary highway to Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport. Social media posts confirmed folks holding a banner and waving Palestinian flags whereas standing on the freeway, which reopened about three hours later.
About 20 protesters have been arrested on the Golden Gate Bridge demonstration and visitors resumed shortly after midday, based on the California Freeway Patrol. The company mentioned officers have been making arrests at two factors on the freeway, together with one spot the place roughly 300 protesters refused orders to disperse.
“Trying to dam or shut down a freeway or state freeway to protest is illegal, harmful, and prevents motorists from safely reaching their locations,” the company mentioned in a press release.
Oregon State Police mentioned 52 protesters have been arrested for disorderly conduct following the Interstate 5 protest in Eugene, Oregon, about 177km (110 miles) south of Portland. Six autos have been towed from the scene.
New York Police made quite a few arrests, saying 150 protesters have been initially concerned within the march at about 3:15 pm (19:15 GMT) however that the group grew shortly.
In San Antonio, protesters holding Palestinian flags obstructed either side of the Valero Vitality Firm headquarters, inflicting visitors congestion on town’s northwest aspect.
