Pro-Palestinian protests caused chaos at airports in New York and Los Angeles on Wednesday, as activists blocked entrance roads, snarling traffic and leading to the arrests of 62 people. In New York, demonstrators locked arms and held banners opposing the Israel-Hamas conflict, bringing traffic to a standstill on the expressway leading up to John F. Kennedy International Airport for about 20 minutes. Some travelers were seen leaving their vehicles behind and stepping onto the highway median to bypass the protest.

Twenty-six people were arrested at the scene, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey dispatched buses to offer rides to affected travelers. Meanwhile, a separate protest in Los Angeles shut down a major thoroughfare leading to the airport, with footage showing debris dragged into the lanes. The Los Angeles Police Department reported that protesters had attacked a police officer and uninvolved passersby, resulting in 35 arrests for rioting and one arrest for battery of a police officer. Despite the protesters fleeing when police arrived, traffic around the airport remained impacted for approximately two hours.

Protesters have been staging nightly demonstrations across the United States since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7th. In New York, organizers have escalated their actions, disrupting major events such as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the annual tree-lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center. During a news conference, New York City Mayor Eric Adams criticized the tactics of the protest organizers and suggested that police may need to increase their response to maintain order in the city. As U.S. airlines were already dealing with holiday travel rush, the demonstrations added to the challenges faced by travelers, forcing some to seek alternative routes to reach the airports in New York and Los Angeles.