A large group of protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza were blocking streets near the Los Angeles International Airport on Friday night.
The protesters were blocking traffic near an airport entrance at the intersection of Vicksburg Avenue and 96th Street at around 5 p.m.
At one point, the group was seen walking over the 96th Street bridge, impacting access for rideshare drivers.
“Due to protests going on nearby @flyLAXairport, access for Uber and Lyft has been impacted,” LAX officials said in a statement. “The 96th Street bridge is being impacted as well.”
The demonstrators are calling for an end to the war between Hamas and Israel that began on Oct. 7 and has claimed over 18,500 lives so far.
They were heard chanting, “Resistance is justified! Free Palestine and genocide,” and also holding a banner that read, “Let Gaza live.”
The unnamed L.A. coalition described themselves as an “unaffiliated group of Palestinians, Jews, and Angelenos of conscience.” The group is calling for an end to the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the “genocide of the Palestinian people.”
“I’m part of this unnamed coalition that’s gathered today representing the masses of Los Angeles — the working class, organizers, movement leaders, people who are being led by a moral compass that are still very much tuned in and focused on what’s happening and are dedicated to stopping it,” said a protester named Tony.
Earlier this week on Dec. 13, another group of protesters calling for a cease-fire shut down traffic on the 110 Freeway in downtown L.A.
That group, called IfNotNow, described itself as a movement of American Jews supporting the end of U.S. support for Israel’s war on Gaza.
The demonstrators were seen sitting in the southbound lanes of the freeway near 3rd Street behind a large banner reading, “Permanent Ceasefire: Equality, Justice, Safety For All.”
Thousands of drivers were impacted as the protest not only blocked travel on the busy 110 Freeway but also caused heavy congestion on other L.A. freeways and side streets.
A large Jewish Hanukia, or Menorah, had also been placed on the freeway. Traffic was blocked at around 9:30 a.m. for about two hours before the protesters were removed by law enforcement. Around 75 people were arrested, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Although some residents criticized the move to block major roads or freeways, claiming the massive disruption could put lives at risk, protesters said they felt they had no other options.
“I understand that there might be some frustrations or annoyance,” Tony said. “I would also say there are a lot of people on the flip side who were in support of it so that’s what we like to focus on. For those who did have a problem with it, at least they were eventually able to get where they were trying to go. In Gaza, people do not have that luxury, that ability to move so freely.”
Although traffic was backed up in multiple directions near LAX on Friday night, so far, no other impacts to airport entrances have been reported.
“We thank everyone for their patience,” said LAX officials.