Cease-fire protesters block Brooklyn and Golden Gate bridges in coast-to-coast demonstrations

SAN FRANCISCO — Protesters of the war in Gaza shut down iconic bridges and roads from coast to coast on Monday, snarling traffic for hours as commuters were stranded in their cars.

The demonstrations in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and elsewhere came after top Democratic officials, including President Joe Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, expressed their “ironclad” support for Israel following Iran’s missile and drone attacks on the country over the weekend.

On San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, protesters chained themselves to stationary vehicles in what the state highway patrol called an “intricate operation” to halt traffic in both directions. They carried a giant banner that read “STOP THE WORLD FOR GAZA” and another that stated “END THE SIEGE ON GAZA NOW.”

About 20 people were arrested for impeding traffic on the bridge, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Other protests targeted the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City and a road leading to the Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked auto traffic in one direction on the Brooklyn Bridge for about an hour on Monday afternoon.

“It just feels really messed up carrying on with our lives as normal when there’s unbelievable violence and human suffering going on,” said Daphne Bissette, a New Yorker who has protested the war in Gaza with Jewish Voice for Peace.

Elsewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area, protesters shut down Interstate 880 using “55-gallon drums filled with cement and heavy-duty chains” to attach protesters to the drums, according to the highway patrol. The freeway remained closed in both directions into the early afternoon, while arrests were underway.

Organizers behind the protests, part of an international effort by anti-war groups, said blockades targeting roads and bridges on tax day reflect “a need to shift from symbolic actions to those that cause pain to the economy.” They accuse the U.S. and other major world powers of not doing enough to end the conflict in Gaza, which has killed more than 33,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities.

Monday’s protests are the latest in a series of demonstrations over Israel’s war with the militant group Hamas that have closed bridges in the San Francisco area, a trend that has increasingly frustrated commuters.

Last November, at least 80 protesters blocked the westbound lane of the Bay Bridge, which connects San Francisco to Oakland. The demonstration caused a traffic nightmare while the region hosted the APEC summit gathering world leaders, including Biden.

In that case, the vast majority of the protesters avoided more serious charges by agreeing to serve five hours of community service and pay a small fine.

Kate Sanchez, a Republican state lawmaker, has proposed legislation that would stiffen penalties on protesters who impede emergency vehicles from operating on roads on bridges in California. Her bill, which has not received its first hearing, would impose a fine of $200 to $500 on the first offense.

“When they shut down highways, they prevent paramedics, firefighters, and police officers from responding to emergencies,” Sanchez said in a statement Monday. “When someone’s life is potentially on the line, there is truly no excuse for this behavior.”

Jeff Coltin contributed to this report from New York City.