Over 100 pro-Palestinian protesters demanding a cease-fire in Gaza were arrested in New York City after demonstrations blocked traffic on several bridges around Manhattan and the Holland Tunnel on Monday.
About 200 protesters gathered around 9 a.m. for the demonstrations at the tunnel and the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges, the NYPD said.
Photos showed protesters blocking the entrances to the tunnel and bridges by sitting in lanes of traffic with their arms connected to each other through PVC pipes.
Video showed police using saws to cut through the PVC pipes to separate protesters.
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Images appeared to show officers arresting some protesters. Port Authority police said 120 protesters were arrested at the tunnel. It was not immediately clear how many arrests were made at the three bridges.
Actress Susan Sarandon was caught on camera by CBS News at the Manhattan Bridge demonstration. Sarandon was recently dropped by her talent agency after making anti-Jewish remarks at a previous protest.
“The right to protest does not give one the right to block bridges and tunnels,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during his weekly media availability. “But Hamas must be destroyed. They are [a] terrorist organization.“
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Demonstrators were cleared, and all three bridges and the tunnel were reopened by 11:30 a.m., though police said to expect residual traffic delays.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have taken to blocking traffic on major highways and bridges in major cities across the U.S. to demand a cease-fire in the months after Israel launched a military response to the deadly Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets on New Year’s Eve, causing commotion in U.S. cities, including New York City and Boston, as revelers celebrated ringing in the new year.
A massive group of pro-Palestinian protesters in Chicago confronted lawmakers at their homes Dec. 23 and temporarily shut down an interstate to express support for Palestinians in Gaza.
Protests have also been seen at major airports, including Los Angeles International, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
