Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters briefly shut down the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.
Protesters held up Palestinian flags and banners reading “Stop genocide” and “End the occupation now!” and blocked traffic. and chanted “Focus on Rafa!” according to footage posted on social media by journalist Ben Camacho.
The protest came a day after what appeared to be one of the deadliest attacks in Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas.
On Sunday, Israel launched an attack on a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, killing dozens of people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday called the attack a “tragic mistake” that was being investigated.
Tens of thousands of people, many of them civilians, have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a war against Hamas in October following an attack by Hamas militants in Israel. Much of Gaza has been destroyed and aid has been cut off, sparking months of protests around the world and the United States, including on many college campuses.
The United Nations’ top court last week ordered Israel to halt its attack on Rafah.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department said Monday that officers were called to monitor a protest downtown around 3 p.m.
“We responded to a number of protesters who were walking through the downtown area,” said Los Angeles Police Department Officer Jeff Lee. “Initially they started blocking traffic, but then they were complying with traffic laws and driving on the sidewalk — right there. That’s when they hit the highway.”
California Highway Patrol Sgt. Alejandro Rubio said the Los Angeles Police Department alerted the CHP and about 50 protesters had moved onto the freeway near Alameda Street at 4:48 p.m.
However, Rubio said there were no protesters on the highway when CHP officers arrived at the scene around 5 p.m.
“They’re all on surface streets,” he said.
Lee said LAPD officers then continued to monitor protesters downtown.
“We’re just trying to ensure public safety and the well-being of everyone,” he said.
