Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked a major highway in the United States city of Los Angeles on Wednesday (Dec 13), calling for a ceasefire amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. The California police detained 75 people following tense physical confrontations between commuters and protesters who caused the highway to shut down during the morning rush hour.
Protests on highway in LA
At least 75 people who were related to the pro-Palestinian protest were detained by the California highway patrol after dozens gathered on the 110 Freeway in downtown LA. Images and videos show several demonstrators sitting in a row stretching from one edge of the multi-lane highway to the other.
The protest was organised by the progressive Jewish organisation IfNotNow which said that it had been timed for Hanukkah. They could also be heard singing the phrase “ceasefire now” while appearing to link arms and blocking the highway.
Images and videos also show protesters wearing black t-shirts which read “not in our name” and “Jews say ceasefire now”. The organisation in a statement said, “We cannot allow business as usual to continue, as Palestinians are murdered with impunity.”
Protesters demanding a cease-fire in Gaza shut down the 110 Freeway in Los Angeles Wednesday morning. All lanes were blocked as protesters lined up, sitting down along the southbound side of the freeway. 75 people were arrested, according to the California Highway Patrol. pic.twitter.com/zpWv3lCaoS
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 13, 2023
Protesters also sang in Hebrew and erected a seven-foot menorah in the middle of the freeway, reported Los Angeles Times.
‘Just hurting working people’
Since the protest disrupted LA’s major highway during the morning rush, safe to say people who were trying to get to work were not happy about it.
Some videos posted by American media outlets show angry commuters stepping out of their vehicles and trying to move the demonstrators from the road.
Some commuters were seen dragging and shoving the protesters. “You idiots are just hurting working people,” one person was heard saying in a video posted by a journalist on-scene.
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“Is it over? I’m in support of a cease-fire but we’re late,” said a woman with her daughter in the backseat off the freeway, as quoted by the LA Times.
As per the media report, the last demonstrator left at about 10:30 am (local time) and two lanes of the highway reopened.
Since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas, the US in particular has witnessed a number of protests and rallies.
The protest in LA also comes days after at least 50 people were arrested in Washington DC by the police after they held pro-Palestinian protests inside the Capitol building.
(With inputs from agencies)
