At least 26 people have been arrested after staging a pro-Palestine demonstration on a main roadway to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
Around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, some 40 protestors blocked traffic on Van Wyck Expressway in Queens, according to Fox5 NY. Protestors exited their vehicles and locked hands, holding signs that read “Divest from genocide” and “Right to Return, Right to Remain,” a reference to the claim that all Palestinian refugees and their descendants have the right to retake possession of any Israeli property that they fled from or were forced to leave.
Protestors also chanted “From the river to the sea,” a call for the total abolition of the Israeli state, according to the New York Post. Protestors were charged with impeding vehicular traffic and disorderly conduct, the outlet noted. (RELATED: Pro-Palestine Protests Disrupt Thanksgiving Parade)
New York City — On one of the busiest travel days after Christmas, pro-Palestine protesters blocked a highway leading to JFK International Airport. A similar action was done by Chicago O’Hare International airport. pic.twitter.com/XWKHCLom5g
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) December 27, 2023
Passengers making their way to the airport were forced to take their luggage and abandon their cars to get to flights on time. “During the disruption, the Port Authority dispatched two airport buses, offering rides to travelers involved … to allow them to reach the airport safely,” Port Authority media relations said in a statement to Fox5.
According to Daily Mail, the Port Authority was able to re-open the Expressway by 11:50 a.m.
Pro-Palestine demonstrators previously blocked a major Los Angeles freeway in mid-December as well as an intersection in San Francisco outside the building where U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping were scheduled to meet as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
Climate protesters have also used the tactic in cities across the U.S. as well as in the United Kingdom, Germany and other countries. In Panama, a motorist trapped by one of the demonstrations exited his vehicle and shot two protesters in November, killing one.