Pro-Palestinian protests block traffic at New York and LA airports
More than two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested Wednesday morning after blocking traffic heading to Kennedy International Airport in New York City during one of the busiest travel weeks of the yearThis is reported by the Port Authority police.
A total of 26 people were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and obstructing vehicular traffic, according to a police statement.
Police first responded to reports of protest activity outside the airport, along the Van Wyck Expressway, around 11:30 a.m., according to authorities, and the roadway was cleared 20 minutes later. According to police, the Port Authority has sent two airport buses to offer rides to travelers affected by the backup.
During the demonstration, demonstrators held hands, formed a line that stretched across the highway, and carried banners with messages such as “Repulse Genocide,” “Let Gaza Live” and “Right of Return.” Behind them, traffic stretched from bumper to bumper, as far as the eye could see, across all three lanes.
About an hour later and 2,500 miles west, pro-Palestinian protesters blocked traffic on West Century Boulevard, near the entrance to Los Angeles International Airport. Thirty-five people were arrested, most on rioting charges, according to police.
By mid-morning, crews were removing debris that protesters had placed across the roadway.
Since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October, there have been almost daily protests across the United States, including on college campuses, at the foot of the Statue of Liberty and at Grand Central Terminal and other places in New York City. In separate protests earlier this month, demonstrators blocked cars near the airport in Los Angeles and on the 110 Freeway, disrupting traffic in the downtown area.
Just a few days before Wednesday’s protests in New York City and Los Angeles, pro-Palestinian activists organized a similar demonstration in Chicago. a caravan with several people According to news reports, the American Palestinian Community Network blocked roads leading to O’Hare International Airport.
Kevin Yamamura reporting contributed.