Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protesters block Golden Gate, Brooklyn bridges, Oregon highway

Demonstrators chant slogans at an outdoor shopping mall in downtown Los Angeles during a "Strike for Gaza" protest calling for the US to stop funding Israel and for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, on April 15, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Robyn Beck / AFP)
Demonstrators chant slogans at an outdoor shopping mall in downtown Los Angeles during a "Strike for Gaza" protest calling for the US to stop funding Israel and for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, on April 15, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Robyn Beck / AFP)

Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel demonstrators have blocked roadways in California, New York and Oregon, after others temporarily shut down travel into Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

Traffic in the San Francisco Bay Area is snarled for hours as demonstrators shut down all vehicle, pedestrian and bike traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge and chain themselves to 55-gallon drums filled with cement across Interstate 880 in Oakland.

In New York, protesters marching into Brooklyn block Manhattan-bound traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge. In Eugene, Oregon, protesters block Interstate 5, shutting down traffic on the major highway for about 45 minutes.

In Chicago, protesters earlier linked arms and blocked lanes of Interstate 190 leading into one of the nation’s busiest airports around 7 a.m., a demonstration they said was part of a global “economic blockade to free Palestine,” according to Rifqa Falaneh, one of the organizers.

About 20 protesters were arrested at the Golden Gate Bridge demonstration and traffic resumed shortly after noon, according to the California Highway Patrol, reporting that over 300 demonstrators took part.

“Attempting to block or shut down a freeway or state highway to protest is unlawful, dangerous, and prevents motorists from safely reaching their destinations,” the agency says in a statement.

Oregon State Police say 52 protestors are arrested for disorderly conduct.

New York Police report numerous arrests, saying 150 protesters were initially involved in the march around 3:15 p.m., but that number quickly grew. The bridge has been fully reopened as of 5 p.m.

A pro-Palestinian protester tries to grab an American flag from pro-Israel supporters as a police officer tries to intervene during a demonstration outside The New York Stock Exchange on Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP/Andres Kudacki)

In Chicago, dozens of protesters were arrested, according to Falaneh. Chicago police said Monday that “multiple people” were taken into custody after a protest where people obstructed traffic but did not have a detailed count.

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