Pro-Palestinian protesters block road, cause delays near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport

CHICAGO (CBS)– Traffic returned to normal on the Kennedy Expressway Monday morning after pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the I-190 access road to O’Hare International Airport.

Several protest groups shared videos on Instagram showing a group of people sitting with their arms crossed on the entrance road to Interstate 190 between Kennedy Expressway and O’Hare, blocking all lanes of traffic heading toward ‘airport.

The protest began around 8 a.m., and dozens of police cars and other emergency vehicles then blocked I-190 as police attempted to contain the groups of protesters blocking traffic. Aviation officials said traffic resumed around 9:15 a.m.

Protesters carried signs reading “Free Palestine” and “Stop the Genocide.” Organizers said they sought to disrupt Boeing’s operations, because the company sells weapons to Israel, and to demand an end to the US government’s arming of Israel.

“On this Tax Day, when millions pay taxes that fund the ongoing U.S. and Israeli bombing of Gaza, protesters seek to take dramatic action,” the group Chicago Dissenters wrote in a post on Instagram. “O’Hare International Airport is one of the largest in the country, and there will be NO business as usual as long as Palestinians suffer from US-funded Israeli bombing.”

Other videos shared by protesters showed people getting out of their cars on I-190 and walking toward O’Hare with their luggage while the road to the airport was blocked.

A passenger who arrived at O’Hare during the protest shared video from outside the terminals, showing dozens of people waiting on the sidewalk, with no cars or shuttles capable of dropping off or picking up waiting travelers.

Traffic was still slower than normal at 11 a.m. and travelers should consider using the CTA Blue Line to get to O’Hare until traffic returns to normal.

Police said several people were arrested, but could not provide an exact number of arrests.

Similar protests also took place in other cities on Monday as part of what organizers called an “economic blockade for a free Palestine.”

A group of demonstrators traffic completely blocked on the Golden Gate Bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County, California.

The demonstrators too blocked all northbound lanes of Interstate 880 in OaklandCalifornia.