Pro-Palestinian protesters block airport highway and bridge: NPR
Protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza block southbound traffic on Highway 880 in Oakland, California, Monday, April 15, 2024.
Bronte Whitpen/AP
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Protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza block southbound traffic on Highway 880 in Oakland, California, Monday, April 15, 2024.
Bronte Whitpen/AP
CHICAGO — Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked roads in Illinois, California, New York and the Pacific Northwest on Monday, including some of the nation's busiest airports, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge. , temporarily shutting down travel to the busy West Coast Expressway. .
Rifka Faraneh, one of the organizers, said that around 7 a.m. in Chicago, demonstrators armed with weapons blocked lanes of Interstate 190 leading to O'Hare International Airport, sparking a global crisis. He claimed that it was part of an economic blockade aimed at liberating Palestine.
Bay in San Francisco as demonstrators blocked all vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge and chained Interstate 880 in Oakland to a 55-gallon drum filled with cement. Traffic in the area was disrupted for hours. Protesters marching into Brooklyn blocked Manhattan-bound traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge. In Eugene, Oregon, protesters blocked Interstate 5, cutting off traffic on the main highway for about 45 minutes.
Protesters say they chose O'Hare in part because it is one of the largest airports. Among other things, they call for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
Anti-war demonstrators have demonstrated almost daily in Chicago since Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people. Since then, Israeli warplanes and ground forces have carried out a scorched-earth campaign in the Gaza Strip.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 33,700 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally, but says women and children account for two-thirds of the deaths.
Mr O'Hare warned travelers on social platform X to use alternative transport as car travel was “significantly delayed this morning as a result of the protests”.
Some travelers stuck in traffic got out of their cars and walked the final leg to the airport along the highway, dragging their luggage behind them.
Among them was Madeline Hannan from the Chicago suburbs. She was heading to O'Hare for a work trip to Florida when her and her husband's car stalled for 20 minutes. She got out of her car and “ran and walked” for more than a mile. She arrived at the gate on time, but she said it was just in the nick of time.
“It was an inconvenience,” she said in a phone interview from Florida. “But it's a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things going on overseas.”
The Chicago Department of Aviation said individual travelers may have been affected, but airport operations were near normal and delays were less than 15 minutes.
Inbound traffic toward O'Hare resumes around 9 a.m.
Near Seattle, the Washington State Department of Transportation said demonstrations had blocked the main road to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Social media posts showed people holding banners and waving Palestinian flags as they stood on the highway, which reopened about three hours later.
About 20 protesters were arrested at the Golden Gate Bridge demonstration, and traffic resumed shortly after noon, according to the California Highway Patrol. The agency said officers made arrests at two locations on the interstate, including one where about 300 demonstrators refused orders to disperse.
“Blocking or attempting to close highways and state highways in protest is illegal, dangerous, and prevents motorists from safely reaching their destinations,” the agency said in a statement.
Oregon State Police said 52 protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct following a protest on Interstate 5 in Eugene, Oregon, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) south of Portland. announced. Six vehicles were towed from the scene.
New York police made numerous arrests and said 150 demonstrators initially took part in the march around 3:15 p.m., but that number quickly grew.The bridge was fully reopened by 5 p.m.
Dozens of protesters were arrested in Chicago, Farane said. Chicago police said Monday that “multiple people” were taken into custody after a demonstration in which people blocked traffic, but did not have a detailed count.
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Protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza block southbound traffic on Highway 880 in Oakland, California, Monday, April 15, 2024.
Bronte Whitpen/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Bronte Whitpen/AP
Protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza block southbound traffic on Highway 880 in Oakland, California, Monday, April 15, 2024.
Bronte Whitpen/AP
CHICAGO — Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked roads in Illinois, California, New York and the Pacific Northwest on Monday, including some of the nation's busiest airports, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge. , temporarily shutting down travel to the busy West Coast Expressway. .Rifka Faraneh, one of the organizers, said that around 7 a.m. in Chicago, demonstrators armed with weapons blocked lanes of Interstate 190 leading to O'Hare International Airport, sparking a global crisis. He claimed that it was part of an economic blockade aimed at liberating Palestine.Bay in San Francisco as demonstrators blocked all vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge and chained Interstate 880 in Oakland to a 55-gallon drum filled with cement. Traffic in the area was disrupted for hours. Protesters marching into Brooklyn blocked Manhattan-bound traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge. In Eugene, Oregon, protesters blocked Interstate 5, cutting off traffic on the main highway for about 45 minutes.Protesters say they chose O'Hare in part because it is one of the largest airports. Among other things, they call for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.Anti-war demonstrators have demonstrated almost daily in Chicago since Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people. Since then, Israeli warplanes and ground forces have carried out a scorched-earth campaign in the Gaza Strip.According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 33,700 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally, but says women and children account for two-thirds of the deaths.Mr O'Hare warned travelers on social platform X to use alternative transport as car travel was “significantly delayed this morning as a result of the protests”.Some travelers stuck in traffic got out of their cars and walked the final leg to the airport along the highway, dragging their luggage behind them.Among them was Madeline Hannan from the Chicago suburbs. She was heading to O'Hare for a work trip to Florida when her and her husband's car stalled for 20 minutes. She got out of her car and “ran and walked” for more than a mile. She arrived at the gate on time, but she said it was just in the nick of time.”It was an inconvenience,” she said in a phone interview from Florida. “But it's a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things going on overseas.”The Chicago Department of Aviation said individual travelers may have been affected, but airport operations were near normal and delays were less than 15 minutes.Inbound traffic toward O'Hare resumes around 9 a.m.Near Seattle, the Washington State Department of Transportation said demonstrations had blocked the main road to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Social media posts showed people holding banners and waving Palestinian flags as they stood on the highway, which reopened about three hours later.About 20 protesters were arrested at the Golden Gate Bridge demonstration, and traffic resumed shortly after noon, according to the California Highway Patrol. The agency said officers made arrests at two locations on the interstate, including one where about 300 demonstrators refused orders to disperse.”Blocking or attempting to close highways and state highways in protest is illegal, dangerous, and prevents motorists from safely reaching their destinations,” the agency said in a statement.Oregon State Police said 52 protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct following a protest on Interstate 5 in Eugene, Oregon, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) south of Portland. announced. Six vehicles were towed from the scene.New York police made numerous arrests and said 150 demonstrators initially took part in the march around 3:15 p.m., but that number quickly grew.The bridge was fully reopened by 5 p.m.Dozens of protesters were arrested in Chicago, Farane said. Chicago police said Monday that “multiple people” were taken into custody after a demonstration in which people blocked traffic, but did not have a detailed count.
https://npr.org/2024/04/16/1244990246/pro-palestinian-demonstrators-shut-down-airport-highways-and-bridges Pro-Palestinian protesters block airport highway and bridge: NPR
