The southbound 405 Freeway in West Los Angeles was shut down on Tuesday morning due to pro-Palestinian protestors.
The closure shutdown the roadway near Venice Boulevard, south of the 10 Freeway.
The protestors are part of the group, IfNotNow Los Angeles, City News Service reported. The group shared a photo on its Instagram page, writing in the caption that they are “observing Tisha B’Av through mourning while demanding an arms embargo on Israel and an immediate ceasefire."
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“To all those stuck in traffic, we sincerely apologize for the disruption to your day. We are especially sorry to the working class people whose lives have been affected,” the group continued. “As a cross-class organization, we have a deep understanding of the impact of this kind of action. 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.”
By 9:30 a.m., California Highway Patrol officers escorted the protesters off the freeway. CHP officials said about 40 to 50 people took part in the protest, and nine were ultimately arrested.
No injuries were reported.
"American Jews and allies have shut down the 405 freeway in West Los Angeles in protest of U.S. support for Israel's assault on Gaza," according to a statement from the organizers. "With one week to go before the Democratic National Convention, protesters are coalescing around three demands for all elected officials: call for a lasting ceasefire, reject the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and legislate an arms embargo.
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