Activists from a Jewish group demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip blocked traffic on a busy Los Angeles highway during Wednesday morning's rush hour and snarled traffic for miles, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The protesters from the If Not Now organization sat down on the southbound lanes of the 110 Freeway downtown at about 9 a.m., bringing commuters to a halt. They wore black shirts reading "Not in Our Name" and held up placards demanding Israel halt military operations in Gaza.
Video on KCAL TV showed a few enraged motorists fighting with protesters before police arrived.
How many protesters were detained in Los Angeles?
About 75 protesters were detained when CHP officers began clearing the highway at around 10 a.m., the highway patrol said.
Thousands of commuters were brought to a stand-still on the typically bustling Los Angeles freeway for at least 90 minutes as several lanes were closed, with southbound traffic backing up past Dodger Stadium, according to US media.
A giant Menorah was also placed in the middle of the street for a "symbolic lighting" mid-protest.
This is what this interchange looks like now: pic.twitter.com/1jqeueDmAR
— Jon peltz (@JonnyPeltz) December 13, 2023