New York City's busiest bridges and tunnels completely shut down by protesters
Peaceful protesters advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza have caused chaos for New York City commuters by blocking three of the city's busiest bridges and tunnels.
The Manhattan Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Holland Tunnel were all shut down on Monday morning as dozens of campaigners took over the areas. Pictures and videos shared on social media show lines of protesters linking arms and obstructing traffic, with police working hard to separate them and make arrests for "disorderly conduct," according to user @DeaBirkett.
This disruption comes at a particularly busy time, as many workers and students are returning from holiday breaks, causing potential delays and frustration for thousands of commuters. Footage shows the protestors using PVC pipes to link their arms together, some bound with duct tape and others glued.
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Protestors covered their arms in PVC pipes and duct tape, with some even covering them in wet cement, to stay linked and unmoveable as police tried to separate them (AFP via Getty Images)Other clips show police officers sawing through the pipes in an attempt to separate the protestors and make arrests. A spokesperson for the New York City Police Department confirmed that the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge and the Holland Tunnel were affected.
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These are major routes between Manhattan and Brooklyn, while the Holland Tunnel connects Manhattan and Jersey City, New Jersey. The spokesperson couldn't confirm the exact charges being pressed against those arrested or provide an exact number of those detained. It's also unknown if traffic is being blocked one way or both ways on each bridge and the tunnel.
"They're working on actively clearing the bridges so traffic can get back to normal," the spokesperson said. By just after 11 am local time, the Manhattan Bridge was reopened, but police were still working on cutting through the PVC pipes.
The protestors were arrested and likely charged with disorderly conduct (AFP via Getty Images)Some videos showed protestors who had linked arms, then poured wet cement over them to permanently link them. The authorities have been working to free and separate them as they also work to move them out of the roadways. At one point, one of the police buses was blocked in by the protestors.
Chants of "shut it down!" and "ceasefire now!" echoed as the police shouted commands over megaphones, warning all those gathered that they'd be arrested if they did not move. The protests are happening just three months after the start of the horrific conflict that has taken nearly 23,000 Palestinian lives so far.
On October 7, Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing around 1,400 Israelis, including many who were at an outdoor music festival and others hiding in their homes near the Gaza border. In response, Israel invaded Gaza, promising to eradicate Hamas completely. This led to constant airstrikes and eventually a ground invasion, causing the deaths of thousands of innocent women and children as hospitals, shelters and refugee camps were targeted.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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