Pro-Palestine protest shuts down LA freeway during peak rush hour

(The Center Square) - Pro-Palestine protesters shut down a major Los Angeles freeway during the height of rush hour, leading California Highway Patrol to detain several protesters.

The protest of several dozen individuals, the organizers for which include pro-Palestinian Jewish organization IfNotNow Los Angeles, started at around 9:00 a.m., which is peak rush hour. Protesters, who demanded an arms embargo on Israel and an immediate ceasefire, were largely cleared out by the end of the hour.

“LA Jews and allies from @ifnotnowla are sitting on the 405-S freeway in West Los Angeles, observing Tisha B’Av through mourning while demanding an arms embargo on Israel and an immediate ceasefire,” said IfNotNow Los Angeles on Facebook. “To all those stuck in traffic, we sincerely apologize for the disruption to your day … However, we also know that what hurts working class people more than standstill traffic is our tax money being spent on military aid to Israel while working families struggle to make ends meet in our own communities.”

The United States approved an additional $26 billion aid package to Israel in April, including $14 billion in unconditional military aid. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Israel is the largest recipient of US assistance, having received $320 billion in inflation-adjusted economic and military aid since 1946.

After one shutdown on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge trapped hundreds and another held up critical organ transplants, California Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez, R-Trabuco Canyon, proposed doubling penalties for preventing emergency vehicles from passing, creating an up to $500 fine for the first offense, and up to $1000 for each subsequent offense. The bill passed the Assembly Transportation Committee but was held by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

“Oh look, another highway blocking that’s diverting resources, preventing people from getting to work, and could even be slowing emergency response times,” said Sanchez on X. “My bill to enhance penalties for these clowns was killed by #CALeg Dems earlier this year.”