Over 300 Radicals Arrested as Protests Shut Down NYC

(TargetDailyNews.com) – The New York Police Department arrested 325 protesters calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war in the Middle East on Monday, January 8th. Groups of dozens of protesters blocked the Holland Tunnel and three area bridges, causing massive congestion across the five boroughs.

NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell told reporters that the activists began blocking traffic around 9:40 a.m. and were successfully arrested and removed by 11:15 a.m. by authorities affiliated with the Port Authority.

Protesters inundated the Manhattan, Williamsburg, and Brooklyn bridges connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as the Holland Tunnel which connects the southern tip of Manhattan to New Jersey highways. They featured signs that demanded an end to the war in Gaza and to “end the occupation.”

Several videos are available online that show the protesters chanting slogans and rhetoric like “Free Palestine!”

Blocking traffic has become a popular trend in antiwar protests lately. The Israeli strikes on Gaza have been infamous and unpopular with liberals in America and Europe. Israel is attempting to remove Hamas from power, the organization that governs Gaza and acts as its military. They launched a successful surprise attack on Israel on October 7th that resulted in over 1,200 deaths and triggered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to begin an all-out war.

The Palestinian death toll continues to rise according to the Palestinian Health Ministry which is affiliated with Hamas. They say there have been roughly 23,000 deaths on the Palestinian side with most of the dead being women and children.

A similar protest disrupted travel at Los Angeles International Airport on December 27th as well as at New York City’s JFK International Airport.

Also on January 8th, protesters disrupted President Biden during a campaign speech he was giving in South Carolina. Biden said he understood their passion and was attempting to curb the conflict in quiet conversations with the Israeli administration.