Pro-Palestinian Protest Blocks Access to New York’s JFK Airport

A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators temporarily blocked access to New York’s JFK airport on Wednesday, protesting on the Van Wyck Expressway and provoking police to make arrests.

New York’s local Fox affiliate reported:

At least 26 people were arrested Wednesday morning after an apparent pro-Palestinian demonstration blocked a portion of the Van Wyck Expressway inside John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Port Authority said.

Several demonstrators were seen holding banners reading “Free Palestine” and “Divest From Genocide,” creating gridlock traffic and forcing travelers to exit their ride-share vehicles and cart their luggage to their gates.

In a statement to FOX 5 NY, the Port Authority said, “At about 11:30 this morning, PAPD was notified of protest activity on the Van Wyck Expressway inside JFK Airport. 26 arrests were made for disorderly conduct and impeding vehicular traffic. The roadway was reopened at 11:50. During the disruption, the Port Authority dispatched two airport buses, offering rides to travelers involved in the backup to allow them to reach the airport safely.”

Some travelers were evidently forced to walk around the protest.

JUST IN: Pro-Palestinian protesters are blocking the road leading to JFK Airport forcing travelers to walk around them to make their flights.

According to @ScooterCasterNY, Port Authority Police are now making arrests to open up the roadway.

The incident comes after… pic.twitter.com/wbQxV7QNEj

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 27, 2023

A similar protest blocked access to LAX in California on Wednesday, and another one blocked access to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on Christmas Eve.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.