From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Anti-Israel protesters in caravan of cars with ‘intifada’ graffiti restrict access to busy NYC airport
Access to a busy terminal at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport was restricted Monday as pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protesters converged on the airport for the second time in a week.
Videos posted online show heavy traffic and a slow-moving line of cars, some flying Palestinian flags and featuring text on the windows such as “intifada,” “f*ck Israel,” “long live the resistance [Hamas]” and “stop the genocide.”
Police directed a line of cars around a checkpoint. Protesters also had planned to arrive at the airport in Queens, New York, by public transportation.
NEW: Pro-*Hamas* protesters are targeting JFK International Airport in New York, forcing delays on one of the most traveled days of the year.
Welcome to the new normal, America.
Many of the protesters were masked as they harassed the New York Police Department, comparing them… https://t.co/2W3UT02wNp
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 1, 2024
The New Year’s Day action was the latest in a series of protests around the nation calling for a ceasefire since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on Oct. 7 when thousands of terrorists invaded Israel and killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 240 as hostages to the Gaza Strip. Last Wednesday, activists brought traffic to a standstill on an expressway leading up to JFK for about 20 minutes. Protesters shut down a major thoroughfare leading to the Los Angeles International Airport on the same day.
Entry into JFK’s Terminal 4 was temporarily restricted Monday afternoon to ticketed passengers, employees and people with what authorities consider a valid reason to be there, such as passenger pickups, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the region’s airports.
Similarly, AirTrain access was temporarily restricted to ticketed passengers and employees.
“The Port Authority, in coordination with our local, state, and federal partners, has deployed safety and security measures to help ensure an uninterrupted travel experience at JFK,” port authority spokesperson Seth Stein said in an email.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey didn’t report any arrests.
City officials had warned people flying out of JFK on Monday, a busy travel day, to get to the airport early because of the protests.
Police said the caravan of cars was later headed to protest outside LaGuardia Airport, which is also in Queens.
The Times of Israel Community.