NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A total of 325 people were arrested after groups of protesters blocked traffic at the entrances to three bridges and a tunnel in Lower Manhattan for more than an hour on Monday morning.
The apparently coordinated, pro-Palestinian demonstrations shut down the outbound Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges around 9:40 a.m.
The New Jersey–bound Holland Tunnel was also shut down by demonstrators.
The protesters were cleared by 11:15 a.m. and 325 arrests were made by NYPD and Port Authority Police, according to NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell. The exact charges were unclear, but most will probably face misdemeanors.
At the height of the protest, the bridges and tunnel were closed to all outbound traffic. The crossings were back to normal in the afternoon following lingering delays.
The protest caused major delays and detours for some bus routes, including M55, M15 and M15-SBS buses, the MTA said.
Travelers told 1010 WINS that they missed flights doctor visits, with one woman saying, "For two hours we've been stuck in a loop, like this is the second bridge we've been trying to go to. And we just want to get to LaGuardia."
"I have an appointment with a doctor," a man said. "I don't know why they made this protest, but that's not the way to do it."
The protest comes as the Israel-Hamas war enters its fourth month. The protest is similar to others that disrupted traffic in recent weeks, including one after Christmas that shut down the Van Wyck Expressway leading to JFK Airport, causing some travelers to walk on the expressway to their terminal.
