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Dozens of protesters blocked lanes outside an entrance to LAX, and the Los Angeles Police Department has announced that more than 30 people have been arrested in connection with the demonstration, which was described as “not…peaceful.”
The Los Angeles Airport Police Department first reported the protest at the Century Boulevard entrance near Sepulveda Boulevard at 9:25 a.m. Wednesday
Footage captured by Sky5 shows dozens of demonstrators, who were calling for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine, running from authorities through streets and parking lots.
According to KTLA 5’s Rich Prickett, many of the protesters could be charged with battery on a police officer and rioting.
“[Police] are interested in taking everyone involved in that protest into custody,” Prickett said. “Not all of these people are going to be successful in getting away here.”
“What may have started out as a peaceful protest will not end that way,” he added.
Several protesters were seen scaling walls and running onto nearby surface streets and into neighborhoods before being ripped down by officers wearing riot gear and detained.
Others were taken into custody in the long-term parking lot or in hotel parking lots adjacent to the airport, Prickett said.
Law enforcement officials reopened the entrance ramp by 10 a.m. Wednesday and traffic resumed as usual. No flights were impacted, airport police said.
“The LAPD’s objective is to ensure public safety for all while facilitating the First Amendment rights of those peacefully demonstrating, however, this was not a peaceful demonstration,” LAPD officials said on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday afternoon. “Protesters threw a police officer to the ground, used construction debris, road signs, tree branches and blocks of concrete to obstruct Century Boulevard while attacking uninvolved passersby in their vehicles.”
Approximately 36 people were arrested and booked for rioting, LAPD said, and at least one other was arrested for battery on a police officer.
Footage from the protest can be viewed in the video player above.
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