Pro-Palestinian Protestors Block Roads In JFK And LAX Airport (image-screen grab)
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked morning traffic in New York City’s John.F Kennedy (JFK) airport and the Los Angeles Airport on one of the busiest travel days of the year. The protest ended with dozens of arrests on Wednesday.
Dozens of protestors came carrying placards which read “Free Palestine” and “Genocide then/Genocide now” blocking a portion of New York’s Van Wyck Expressway at JFK at around 11:30 am ET (Eastern Time Zone).
Travelers were forced to get out of the car and opt to walk to the airports on foot with their luggage in New York. The police have arrested 26 people for disorderly conduct and impeding vehicular traffic. The roadway was later reopened at 11:50 am.
“During the disruption, the Port Authority dispatched two airport buses, offering rides to travellers involved in the backup to allow them to reach the airport safely,” said Port Authority media relations, reports daily mail.
The videos of the protestors joining hands creating a line blocking traffic, holding signs and chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will live forever” is now circulating in the social media. Port Authority police arresting the demonstrators from the venue could also be seen in the videos.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the protestors used construction debris, road signs, tree branches, and blocks of concrete to obstruct Century Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), says Independent.
In the statement posted on X by LAPD, they alleged that one among the police officer was thrown onto the ground and protestors attacked the passerby in their vehicles.
35 demonstrators were arrested on charges including rioting and battery of a police officer. LAPD described the actions as “dangerous” and said “will not be tolerated”.
The protestors, a group consisting of 40, gathered at Los Angeles at around 9 am PST (Pacific Time), around the same time the protestors in JFK blocked the airport.
They successfully shut down Century Boulevard for around 30 minutes, but other airport entrances remained accessible.
As per the TSA passenger volume data, 27th December is traditionally among the busiest days to travel with more than two million people expected to catch flights.
The Israel’s aggression on besieged enclave of Gaza, since October 7, has killed at least 21,000 people and wounded more than 55,000 according to the Gaza health ministry. And nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes.
