Dozens of pro-Palestine demonstrators blocked major highways outside John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Wednesday morning, bringing traffic to a halt during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.
The protest in New York began around 11 a.m. local time, when five cars abruptly stopped on the Van Wyck Expressway near JFK’s Terminal 4. As many as 40 protesters exited the vehicles and unfurled banners reading “Divest from Genocide” and “Right to Return, Right to Remain,” forming a human chain in front of the other vehicles.
While the demonstrators held hands, waved flags, and demanded a ceasefire in Gaza, cars began piling up for several miles behind them. Frustrated travelers began exiting taxis and Ubers and heading to the airport on foot despite the rain, with some stopping to ask nearby police why they weren’t intervening.
🚨#BREAKING: Multiple roads into JFK Airport have been blocked by by Pro-Palestine protestors causing A travel nightmare ⁰
📌#Queens l #NewYorkCurrently, numerous pro-Palestine protestors are blocking the entrance to John F. Kennedy international Airport in Queens, New York,… pic.twitter.com/aXxWnhpDfF
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) December 27, 2023
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Officers at the airport were eventually joined by reinforcements from the New York Port Authority and the New Jersey State Police, allowing them to remove the protesters after roughly half an hour. At least 26 people were taken into custody and charged with disorderly conduct and impeding the flow of traffic. All were later released with desk appearance tickets, police sources confirmed to The New York Post.
No violent incidents or physical confrontations between police and protesters were reported.
“During the disruption, the Port Authority dispatched two airport buses, offering rides to travelers involved in the backup to allow them to reach the airport safely,” the Port Authority said in a press statement.
Related: Christmas ‘Canceled’ in NYC as Pro-Palestine Mob Clashes with Police
At the same time, on the other side of the country, a far more unruly group of demonstrators formed a blockade on Century Boulevard outside LAX, pulling debris and construction barriers into the street to block cars.
Around 9:30 a.m. local time, several dozen protesters were seen holding banners, waving flags, and demanding the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Reports indicate that the crowd began throwing objects at law enforcement, leading authorities to declare the demonstration an unlawful assembly.
🚨#BREAKING: LAPD are in Riot Gear as Pro-Palestine Protesters has blocked the entrance to the LAX Airport armed with Rocks and Throwing Cones and Construction Equipment
⁰📌#LosAngeles l #California ⁰⁰Currently Numerous law enforcement other agencies are currently on the… pic.twitter.com/zdEs2C1nXb— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) December 27, 2023
Officers in riot gear responded to the scene by 10:00 a.m. and placed at least a dozen protesters under arrest. The exact numbers and charges have not been announced.
As in New York, hundreds of travelers were delayed by the disruption in the street. A local NBC affiliate reports that more than 1.9 million people are expected to travel through LAX between December 15 and January 2, with the busiest days coming just before Christmas.
The demonstrations in New York City and Los Angeles mirrored an incident in Chicago on December 23, when yet another group of protesters shut down a highway near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport during a peak travel day.
Breaking: A highway close to Chicago O’Hare International Airport was blocked by pro-Palestine demonstrators just ahead of Christmas Eve. pic.twitter.com/GpWtZ5v4DW
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) December 24, 2023
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