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Protesters calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war shut down the busy 405 freeway in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning during rush hour, demanding a ceasefire and a US arms embargo on Israel.
The demonstration paused traffic for about an hour, and nine were arrested without injury, according to the California Highway Patrol.
“Today, American Jews risked their bodies to demand a lasting ceasefire and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel,” the progressive Jewish activist group If Not Now LA, whose members joined the protest, wrote on Instagram.
“Joe Biden’s administration cannot provide 14 billion dollars in unconditional aid to Israel, cosigning the unbridled murders of Palestinian civilians. A call for a lasting ceasefire is only meaningful if there will be no more funds given to the Israeli military.”
The protesters carried signs calling for an embargo and urging fellow Jews to reject the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel group that spends heavily on US congressional races, including the recent defeat of Representative Cori Bush.
The protest was reminiscent of others that have taken place across the country.
In April, a group of activists blocked the Golden Gate Bridge for a ceasefire protest.
This week, 26 involved in the demonstration were charged with offenses including false imprisonment, conspiracy, trespassing, unlawful assembly, and failure to obey a uniformed officer.
As The Independent has reported, the war in Gaza could define the incoming administration and the 2024 election that precedes it.
The Biden administration has called on Israel to avoid civilian casualties and achieve a ceasefire but has continued to support the US ally with weapons as it conducts a campaign that’s involved allegedly assassinating its negotiating partners within Hamas and has been deemed genocide by human rights experts.
On the campaign trail, Harris has called for an immediate ceasefire but has shown irritation with pro-Palestine protesters interrupting her rallies.
Trump, meanwhile, has been less vocal about the conflict, though in March he called on Israel to “finish up” the war because it is “losing a lot of the world.”
