Hundreds of protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza disrupted traffic and blocked security checkpoints at San Francisco International Airport Wednesday morning.
Inside the international terminal, chanting protesters chained themselves together in multiple locations. Outside the terminal, some protesters blocked vehicle access with their cars while others marched in a circle and chanted.
The airport said the international terminal was still open during the protest. Passengers were rerouted around the protest activity.
Organizer Joshua Caldwell said about 300 protesters gathered at the airport's International Terminal at 8 a.m. They blocked traffic outside and security lanes inside and held up banners and signs calling for an end to the bombing campaign that the United Nations says has claimed more than 30,000 lives as of Wednesday.
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Caldwell said the decision to disperse was made for the safety of protesters, but not because of any specific threat. He said participants were glad that nobody was arrested and that the group felt it had support for its actions from some travelers.
"Civil disobedience is a necessary calling when atrocities are being committed in our name," Caldwell said.
SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel confirmed that the protesters had dispersed and the areas previously occupied in the airport were clear. The airport's social channels said roadways and checkpoints were clear by 11:42 a.m. Yakel said there were no flight delays because of the protests.
The airport's social media channels did recommend earlier Wednesday that international travelers be dropped off at the airport's "Kiss and Fly" parking lot and take the AirTrain. At 10:09 a.m., an update on social media said that passengers using ride-hailing services or traveling internationally could use the domestic terminal and use the AirTrain to travel between terminals.
Caldwell said the protesters were Bay Area residents who were not part of any organization or group besides their shared motivation to call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.
