🇺🇸 US Jewish Protestors Halt Los Angeles Freeway, Call for Ceasefire in Gaza

Last Updated on July 20, 2024

During Wednesday’s rush hour, American Jewish demonstrators from the group “IfNotNow” brought traffic on the 110 freeway in Los Angeles to a standstill, demanding an end to Israeli aggression in Gaza.

Wearing black shirts with the phrases “Not in our name” and “Jews say ceasefire now,” protesters sat side by side on the freeway, effectively causing extensive traffic jams in a city already grappling with regular congestion.

“IfNotNow,” a group of American Jews advocating for an end to U.S. support for the Israeli occupation, organized the protest. On the freeway, demonstrators lit a Hannukah menorah while chanting slogans such as “Down down with occupation” and “Let Gaza live!”

Expressing their concerns on social media, one participant stated, “We can’t stand idly by as [Gaza] civilians are murdered by the thousands. Ceasefire now! We cannot let life continue as usual while Palestinians are killed without accountability. That’s why we closed the freeway.”

The group’s official account emphasized the urgency of the situation in Gaza, posting, “Millions of [Gaza] lives hang in the balance. Every day that passes without a ceasefire condemns hundreds, likely thousands, of Gazans to death.”

“As Jews, we cannot sit by as the people of Gaza are starved and slaughtered in our name. And as Americans, we can’t let Biden & Congress send billions more in funding for Israeli war crimes,” another post read.

Approximately an hour into the protest, police intervened forcefully, reopening the road and arresting 75 demonstrators, according to the group.

This demonstration aligns with a broader sentiment of dissatisfaction, as an NBC News poll revealed a decline in voter support for President Joe Biden to its lowest level since his election, citing concerns about his administration’s handling of the Gaza conflict among other issues.

Additionally, American Muslims in various states have launched the “AbandonBiden” campaign, expressing discontent with Biden’s approach to the Gaza situation and his support for the Israeli occupation. Opposition within the White House has also surfaced, with reports of a group of White House interns joining others internally pressuring Biden to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, as per NBC.