CNN
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More than 150 people were arrested or detained across the United States on Monday as pro-Palestinian protesters blocked roads and one of the country's most famous bridges.
In places from San Francisco and Seattle to Chicago and the East Coast cities of Miami and New York, demonstrators disrupted traffic – including during rush hour – and blocked passengers from entering major airports to protest the US backing Israel in its war in Gaza.
On Monday, President Joe Biden, addressing Iran's attack on Israel over the weekend, said he was focused on Israel's security, reaching a cease-fire in Gaza, freeing hostages held by Hamas and preventing the conflict from escalating.
Dozens of protesters blocked rush hour traffic on the iconic Golden Gate Bridge on Monday morning.
Protesters held signs reading “Stop the world for Gaza”. Some protesters were chained to vehicles on the bridge, officials said. The bridge was not fully opened after several hours.
Demonstrators blocked traffic at two other locations in the Bay Area, some bracing themselves with drums filled with concrete and rebar, slowing efforts to reopen roads, officials said.
“It was a planned event that they put on,” said California Highway Patrol Chief Dan Goodbrand. “They blocked three separate locations on the freeways. They prevented law enforcement personnel, paramedics and ambulances from reaching their destination.
According to the CHP, more than 30 people were arrested.
52 people were arrested in Oregon Law Law enforcement officers responded to a protest that blocked lanes of Interstate 5 near Eugene.
Six vehicles were towed from the scene, Oregon State Police said.
Roads to two major US airports also became a protest zone. In Chicago and Seattle, people tried to catch their flights, getting out of their vehicles and walking to their terminals.
According to CNN affiliate WLSProtesters blocked traffic on the road leading to Terminal 1 at Chicago's O'Hare Airport during the morning rush hour.
“Enough is enough. “The U.S. government has no choice but to disrupt business as usual,” protester Simone Tucker told WLS.
Chicago police said about 40 people were arrested.
In Seattle, protesters appeared to block the road leading to Seattle-Tacoma Airport with several vehicles and demonstrators holding signs reading “Our Taxes Fund Genocide.”
EnterA CNN affiliate reported: “Some passengers could be seen walking past the protest, rolling their bags down the road as they tried to catch their flights.”
An airport spokesman said more than 40 people were arrested.
In Miami, at least two groups of protesters could be seen on opposite sides of a busy street carrying Palestinian flags. Police said seven people were arrested.
In New York, dozens of people gathered on Wall Street, carrying flags and holding signs. A protest was held near the Brooklyn Bridge. New York police did not provide a specific number, although some were arrested.
Hamas militants launched a bloody attack on Israel from Gaza on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Since Israel declared war on Hamas, more than 33,000 people have been killed and more than 76,000 wounded in Gaza, according to the besieged enclave's health ministry.
The United States has offered support and military aid to Israel following Hamas's offensive, although rifts have emerged between the two countries' leaders over mounting civilian casualties and humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Here's how to help Humanitarian efforts in Gaza and Israel.
CNN's Cindy Van Kuetno and Brahmi Balarajan contributed to this report.
