Protesters demanding an early end to the three-month-old Israel-Hamas war stopped several bridges and a tunnel in New York City on Monday.
According to local media, dozens of protesters sat in the middle of the road and shouted slogans as they obstructed traffic on the East River bridges linking Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Williamsburg and at the Holland Tunnel that links New York City and New Jersey over the Hudson River.
The Holland Tunnel’s operators, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said on their website that the lanes leading to New Jersey were blocked “due to police action.”
Activists chanted, “NYPD, KKK, IDF, they’re all the same.”
“Lift the blockade on Gaza” and “Ceasefire Now” were some of the placards held by protesters near the Holland Tunnel.
The demonstrations were coordinated by a number of organizations, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the Democratic Socialists of America’s New York branch.
One demonstrator reportedly made the statement, “The blockade on Gaza has to end, and I’m willing to lay my body on the line to end it,” as a police officer escorted her away while her hands were behind her back.
According to local health experts, over 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel claims that out of 240 captives taken by Hamas in its assault on Israel on October 7th, which killed 1,200 people, more than 100 are still being held by the terrorist group.
Even though the Jamaica Train Station is usually somewhat straightforward to enter, the queue of travelers waiting to enter JFK’s AirTrain Terminal expanded rapidly in the hours leading up to the event due to increased security measures in response to demonstrations.
Protesters planned to swarm JFK Airport, according to social media postings.
Officers were randomly inspecting each vehicle along Lefferts Boulevard for proof of identity, either as an employee or a traveler, before allowing them access to the airport.
After receiving rumors of an 80-vehicle caravan using that portion of the Belt Parkway to reach the AirTrain Terminal, officials took extreme measures by positioning dump trucks to block the service road.
According to the police, around six vehicles obstructed traffic as a form of protest, leaving passengers to deal with the aftermath of the mayhem.
