Jewish protestors block Los Angeles freeway, demand ceasefire in Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen
14 Dec 2023 06:36
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The demonstrators are part of a Jewish group called IfNotNow that calls for the end of US support to the Israeli occupation entity.

Protestors from the IfNotNow Jewish organization blocking the 110 freeway in Los Angeles demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and calling on the US to end its support to the Israeli occupation entity on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 (IfNotNow X account)

During rush hour on Wednesday, American Jewish protesters blocked a 110 freeway in Los Angeles, demanding an end to Israeli aggression on Gaza.

The demonstrators, sitting squat on the ground side by side, effectively halted traffic, causing extensive traffic jams stretching for kilometers in a city already plagued by regular congestion.

The protest was organized by a group calling themselves "IfNotNow," which identifies itself as "a group of American Jews seeking to end US support for the Israeli apartheid system."

In the middle of the freeway, the demonstrators, who wore black shirts with the white phrases "Not in our name" and "Jews say ceasefire now," lit a Hannukah menorah while chanting "Down down with occupation" and “Let Gaza live!".

نشطاء من جماعة يهودية أميركية تطالب بوقف إطلاق النار في قطاع غزة يعرقلون حركة المرور على طريق سريع مزدحم في #لوس_أنجلوس خلال ساعة الذروة.

وارتدى المتظاهرون قمصاناً سوداء كتب عليها "ليس باسمنا" ورفعوا لافتات تطالب "إسرائيل" بوقف العدوان على #غزة.#الولايات_المتحدة pic.twitter.com/5SOAmK3BOr
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) December 14, 2023

In a post on X, one of the participants said, "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."

Meanwhile, the group's official account posted: "Millions of [Gaza] lives hang in the balance. Those who've survived American bombs dropped by Israeli planes are now fighting desperately to survive starvation, flood, and disease. Every day that passes without a ceasefire condemns hundreds, likely thousands, of Gazans to death."

Millions of lives hang in the balance. Those who've survived American bombs dropped by Israeli planes are now fighting desperately to survive starvation, flood, and disease.

Every day that passes without a ceasefire condemns hundreds, likely thousands, of Gazans to death. pic.twitter.com/AfqtkCJjJY
— IfNotNow🔥🕎 (@IfNotNowOrg) December 13, 2023

"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," the group said in another post.

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

We have shut down the freeway to call for a #CeasefireNOW, which 66% of Americans support. https://t.co/6fan2BQVQb
— IfNotNow🔥🕎 (@IfNotNowOrg) December 13, 2023

Approximately an hour after the protest began, police intervened forcefully, reopening the road and arresting 75 protesters, as per the group.

This comes at a time when an NBC News poll revealed a decline in voter support for US President Joe Biden to its lowest level since he was elected, due to his administration's handling of the war in Gaza among other matters.

Furthermore, according to Axios, American Muslims in several states have started a campaign named "AbandonBiden," reflecting their anger over his approach to the Gaza situation and his support for the Israeli occupation entity.

Opposition within the White House has also grown, with NBC reporting that a group of White House interns joined a growing list of administration officials internally pressuring Biden to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.