Hundreds of protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza disrupted traffic and blocked security checkpoints at San Francisco International Airport Wednesday morning.
Inside the international terminal, chanting protesters chained themselves together in multiple locations. Outside the terminal, some protesters blocked vehicle access with their cars while others marched in a circle and chanted.
The airport said the international terminal was still open during the protest. Passengers were rerouted around the protest activity.
Joshua Caldwell, an organizer, said the people involved in the protest were not part of a formal group or organization, but were a collection of Bay Area residents who did not want to see the United States’ support of Israel’s bombing campaign continue.
“We don’t want to take action like this,” Caldwell said in a phone interview. He said the participants felt compelled to stop what he called a genocide in Gaza.
Caldwell said the protest began at about 8 a.m. and had sustained about 300 people throughout.
Another protester, Jennifer Trang, said those involved had tried several failed tactics before deciding the airport protest was needed.
“We have met with elected officials, written letters, and passed city-wide resolutions,” Trang said in a statement. “We have taken to the streets. We have sounded the alarm in the media. The world has denounced the Israeli war against Palestinians in Gaza and our politicians continue to fuel and fund this genocide.”
Trang said, “We need a permanent ceasefire and an end to the siege on Gaza now.”
Organizers said the action included traffic disruptions, visual displays, and the blocking of security lanes inside the airport.
NBC Bay Area staff and Bay City News
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