Pro-Palestinian protesters stall traffic on Los Angeles freeway

Several dozen demonstrators protesting the war in Gaza blocked the southbound lanes of the busy 405 freeway during the Tuesday morning rush. California Highway Patrol arrested nine demonstrators who refused an order to disperse. Highway Patrol acknowledges the First Amendment right to protest, but blocking roadways is illegal and endangers protesters and motorists, the department said. The nine taken into custody will face misdemeanor charges from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, the department added.

Who organized the protest? The activist group IfNotNow LA mounted the protest on the Jewish mourning holiday Tisha B’Av. Protesters sat across the seven-lane highway and held signs demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. The group claimed responsibility for the protest online and apologized to everyone stuck in traffic. An immediate U.S. arms embargo on Israel is the only way to stop the Palestinian genocide and bring hostages home, the group wrote.

Dig deeper: Read my report on Iran inciting pro-Palestinian protests in the United States.