Protesters Across the US Utilizing Bridges for Pro-Palestine Movement
Protestors blocking bridges has a history in the United States. Credit: National Archives
Pro-Palestinian protests across the U.S. disrupted traffic on bridges in several major cities on April 15.
Protestors shackled themselves to their vehicles and blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Similarly, protestors barred traffic out of Manhattan on the Brooklyn Bridge by standing in traffic lanes, according to Politico. Both protests were dispersed by authorities within a few hours.
The Newburgh-Beacon Bridge in the Hudson Valley was the site of an April 15 pro-Palestine bridge protest a little after 8 a.m., as dozens of protestors dispersed throughout traffic.
The protest ended around 8:40 a.m., but the traffic issues lasted for hours after. The protestors were later taken into state custody from the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, according to CBS.
Local residents and out-of-state travelers had to sit through the hours of traffic this event caused, with Dutchess County resident Sue Aboshanab telling News12 Long Island that, “This is awful.”
In a Zoom interview with News12, protest organizer Abdallah Qotate said, “I'm forced to be in the street right now," following the bridge protest and his arrest. "People on both sides are dying everyday. They are humans. They have families. They have some people they love, and this is not acceptable."
The Golden Gate Bridge has been shut down in the past by pro-Tibetan protestors in 2008, anti-Trump protestors in 2017 and Black Lives Matter protestors in 2020. The Brooklyn Bridge has been the scene for similar protests.
Bridge protests are not a new phenomenon. This protest method has been used for decades, with many occurring during the Civil Rights Movement. Instances include during the Vietnam War with bridge protests in Washington D.C. in 1967, and the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965.
In some cases, protests take the form of blocking access to the bridge itself, as seen in the Golden Gate Bridge protest on April 15. In other cases, such as during the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge protest, protestors walk amid traffic on the bridge, causing a disruption.
In regards to the pro-Palestine ongoing protests since the conflict started back in October, bridges have been a go-to for protesters. Back in December, the Associated Press reported that the Golden Gate Bridge once again was utilized as 200 protesters were calling for a permanent ceasefire.
“We are more resolute in our demands for a cease-fire than ever,” said Aisha Nizar, of the Palestinian Youth Movement, outside of a San Francisco court to the Associated Press.
Proponents cite the disruptive aspect of bridge protests to be among their fortes. Bridges by their very nature control access across natural obstacles; their blockage is far more disruptive than simply blocking a road. As the centerpiece of a protest is to disrupt everyday life, this makes bridge blockages a powerful tool.