Hundreds of pro-Palestine demonstrators shut down terminal at major US airport

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters have shut down part of the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to demand an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and the end of all US military assistance to Israel.

Protesters chanted the now-familiar refrain of "Free, free Palestine" while holding a banner that read, "Stop Arming Israel," as they blocked access to security gates inside the international terminal at SFO, according to a video that circulated on social media.

Protesters also appeared to be blocking traffic outside of the terminal's departures entrance, blocking all lanes of traffic while marching in a circle with Palestinian and other flags, according to another video from an X account called Critical Resistance.

The airport in northern California acknowledged the protest and said outbound passengers were being "re-routed around the activity" in a post on the microblogging website, X.

"To avoid congestion at the International Terminal curb, we recommend dropping off passengers at the Kiss and Fly lot at the Rental Car Center and taking AirTrain," it added in a subsequent post.

Israel's war in Gaza has sparked continuous mass demonstrations in major cities across the US and has led to repeated interruptions at US President Joe Biden's campaign events.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which 1,163 people were killed.

More than 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 73,000 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.