Protesters Shut Down Los Angeles Freeway Amid Calls for Gaza Ceasefire

Edited by: Fern Sidman

In a dramatic display of solidarity with Hamas terrorists and calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, a group of protesters in Los Angeles orchestrated a freeway shutdown that led to tense confrontations with commuters and, ultimately, the arrest of 75 individuals, as was reported by the Guardian of the UK. The demonstration, organized by the rabidly anti-Israel group IfNotNow, aimed to draw attention to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and disrupt the normal flow of traffic on a major freeway in downtown Los Angeles, the report added.

Officers taking pro-Hamas extremists into custody on 110 Freeway in downtown L.A. after they shut it down for several hours.

What a waste of everyone’s time and resources, there should be more repercussions for these illegal protests.

If you block the road, especially a… pic.twitter.com/UD9ui1gaDe

— AlphaFo𝕏 (@Alphafox78) December 13, 2023

On Wednesday morning, dozens of protesters gathered on the 110 freeway, bringing all six southbound lanes to a standstill for over an hour. As was indicated in the report in the Guardian, the blockade resulted in extensive traffic gridlock, impacting the morning commute for miles around. Commuters engaged in physical confrontations with protesters as they attempted to clear the roadway.

#BREAKING: Protesters calling for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip shut down the 110 Freeway in downtown L.A. https://t.co/khQCVXah6m pic.twitter.com/aw1XqVfOq4

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) December 13, 2023

The California Highway Patrol took action, detaining 75 people associated with the protest. According to the report in the Guardian, video footage posted by IfNotNow captured the demonstrators linking arms in front of stopped vehicles, donning shirts with messages such as”not in our name” and “Jews say ceasefire now.” The group stated that they aimed to disrupt the status quo to draw attention to what they view as unjust Palestinian deaths.

This incident is part of a broader trend of protests across the United States since the Gaza conflict began in October when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and brutally murdered 1200 Israelis and other and took over 240 hostages. The Guardian report also indicated that in Washington DC, at least 50 people were arrested during a demonstration calling for a permanent ceasefire. In California, protesters gathered outside the office of US Senator Alex Padilla, demanding an immediate ceasefire.

Last month, Los Angeles experienced another protest that shut down a portion of Hollywood Boulevard, while San Francisco witnessed arrests as protesters blocked traffic on the Bay Bridge, the Guardian report said. The demonstrations reflect the growing anti-Semitism and anti-Israel attitudes that have permeated US society and nations that world over since October 7^th.

The organizers behind Wednesday’s protest, the group IfNotNow, expressed their conviction in a statement: “We cannot allow business as usual to continue, as Palestinians are murdered with impunity. So we have closed the freeway,” as was reported by the Guardian. The protesters’ actions are a visible expression of their demand for an immediate ceasefire in order that the Hamas terror organization can continue to exist and thrive in Gaza while posing a great danger to Israel’s survival.

The last protester left the freeway around 10:30 am, and two lanes reopened, with the expectation that the remainder would be fully operational by noon.