Pro-Palestinian protests were also reported in Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami and San Antonio. Demonstrators’ targets ranged from major highways such as Interstate 5 in Eugene, Ore., to a countryside road leading to an aircraft engine manufacturer in Middletown, Conn.
The protests that began in the morning in the Bay Area, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, San Antonio, Eugene and Middletown had been cleared as of Monday evening, but others were continuing. At about 3 p.m. local time, pro-Palestinian protesters began blocking the road to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington, according to the airport’s X account.
Police made arrests at several protests, but no significant violence had been reported in those cities as of Monday evening.
Protesters have stalled traffic, closed streets, disrupted daily life and interrupted events in major U.S. cities intermittently since the beginning of the Israel-Gaza war, but few have concurrently or consecutively affected travel in as many parts of the country as on Monday. Activists on social media referred to the demonstrations as a coordinated day of economic protest of the Israel-Gaza war.
The war began shortly after Hamas militants attacked Israel, killed about 1,200 people and took hostages Oct. 7, according to Israeli authorities. At least 33,797 people have been killed and 76,465 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority of the dead are women and children.
This is a developing story that will be updated.