At least two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested and handcuffed as they blocked I-76 in Philadelphia on Thursday evening.
Protesters called for a ceasefire in Gaza as they lined up and blocked traffic in the westbound lanes of the Schuylkill Expressway in Center City near the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Police reported that around 3:30 p.m., a group of about 150 people gathered with “Jewish Voice for Peace” on the Spring Garden Street Bridge and hung banners that read “Let Gaza Live” and “Ceasefire Now.”
Below the bridge, protesters then jumped out of their cars and closed lanes on I-76 as Pennsylvania state police and Philadelphia police approached the group.
Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford said 32 people have been arrested and will be cited.
At least two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested and handcuffed as they blocked I-76 in Philadelphia on Thursday evening
Traffic was heavy on the highway as protesters got out of their cars, blocking westbound lanes and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza
The Schuylkill Expressway has now reopened, but the Spring Garden Street Bridge over the highway remains closed.
Rabbis for Armistice also joined the protest, along with other faith leaders and allies.
The protesters described themselves as “members of the Jewish community who support freedom and dignity for all people.”
Rabbi Alissa Wise, leader of Rabbis for Ceasefire, said she cannot celebrate the eighth and final night of Hanukkah as long as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.
“This is how we celebrate Hanukkah this year.” “This year means disrupting normal business operations,” Wise told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Rabbis on the bridge lit a shamash candle on a menorah as they led the group in Hebrew songs and called for peace.
The group is seen in a line as they blocked I-76 on the Schuylkill Expressway in Center City on Thursday
There was another protest on the streets of Washington DC on Thursday as New York Avenue was blocked
Protesters in Washington blocked cars on the street
There appears to be an ongoing trend of protests on major city streets, with another taking place in Washington, DC when New York Avenue was blocked.
The group reportedly closed eight bridges to symbolize the eighth night of Hanukkah, Jewish Voice of Peace reported.
Protesters put up signs reading “Stop fire now” and “Stop the genocide in Gaza.”
A similar demonstration took place in Los Angeles on Wednesday during the morning rush hour, bringing traffic to a standstill.
Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters sat in a line stretching south along the 110 Freeway.
The protest was organized by a group called IFNOTDOWN, which describes itself as “a movement of American Jews supporting the end of US support for Israel's war on Gaza.”
The protest began around 9 a.m. Photos and videos showed protesters crossing their weapons in the southbound lanes of the 110 Freeway while chanting, “Down with the occupation.”
The California Highway Patrol responded to the scene around 10 a.m. and asked people to evacuate.
Shortly after the protest was labeled an “unlawful assembly” by authorities, more officers were called as they began tying the protesters' hands with cable ties.
A busy highway in downtown Los Angeles was closed during rush hour on Wednesday as crowds of protesters called for a ceasefire in Gaza
Cars sat idle on busy I-110 on Wednesday as anti-Israel protests brought rush hour traffic to a standstill
Protesters calling for an end to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war brought traffic to a standstill on Interstate 110 Wednesday morning
Officers can be heard saying, “If you do not leave this area, you will be physically arrested and detained.”
Some protesters were arrested and housed in cogeneration units parked on the highway.
Most protesters were removed by 10:30 a.m. and officials opened the three left lanes on the highway, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Authorities had to push vehicles onto the shoulder as some appeared to stall due to mechanical problems, KTLA reported.
Activist group IFNOTNOW announced the protest Wednesday morning but gave no indication that it would result in a traffic stop.
“As American Jews, we refuse to remain silent.” “We demand an end to the financial support of the Israeli occupation and documented war crimes, including the indiscriminate mass murder of over 18,000 Palestinians and the forced relocation of 1.9 million civilians,” one said Group statement.
CHP later confirmed that a total of 75 people involved in the protest were arrested.
Israel launched its attack on October 7 in response to a devastating Hamas terrorist attack that killed 1,200 people.