A tow truck removes one of the cars blocking the expressway leading to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Monday, April 15, 2024. A pro-Palestinian protest closed the road to the airport. (Image courtesy of KIRO 7)
“Travelers coming to the airport are urged to use alternate routes or take Light Rail and public transit. We will post updates as they’re available,” the airport stated on its X account.
Also, Alaska Airlines is working to make sure travelers make their flights.
However, SEA Airport isn’t the only place in the area seeing protests.
At the University of Washington, KIRO Newsradio followed a demonstration outside the link light rail station. Sound Transit said it did not affect train service.
At the University of Washington, KIRO Newsradio is following a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the link light rail station. (Photo: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio)
Other pro-Palestinian protests across the U.S.
In San Francisco, protesters blocked the Golden Gate Bridge and stalled drivers on Interstate 880 in Oakland Monday morning, reported CBS News. The bridge is now open, but CBS said it caused a gridlock for several hours.
According to The Associated Press (AP), several protesters were arrested following the blockade.
Security Analyst Jeff Harp told CBS’s Bay Area TV station he was stuck in the backup. He said the protest was non-violent but people could have been harmed if first responders weren’t able to get through.
“There’s no line of communication. It’s their way or the highway. And now suddenly you’ve got people sitting on the Golden Gate Bridge, unwilling to move, maybe throwing their keys over the bridge, and now what do you do? So it’s not a violent situation but it certainly is a situation where law enforcement has to exercise extreme patience and judgment,” Harp said.
In Chicago, pro-Palestinian protesters blocked a freeway leading to three Chicago O’Hare International Airport terminals Monday morning, reported The AP.
The AP said protestors linked arms around 7 a.m. and said they were part of an “economic blockade to free Palestine.”
O’Hare warned travelers to take alternate routes and drivers were delayed because of the protests. The AP reported traffic resumed around 9 a.m. as Chicago police arrested dozens of protestors.
According to the Gaza health ministry, the Israeli offensive has killed over 33,700 Palestinians. According to NPR, Israel reported around 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack on October 7.
Recently, Iran launched over 300 missiles directed toward Israel, of which 99% were intercepted, reported The AP. The attack came after an Israeli strike killed two Iranian generals.
On Monday, Israel’s military chief said his country would respond to Iran’s attack but urged Israel not to retaliate to avoid more violence in the Middle East.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email her here.