A "Car Caravan 4Palestine" prompted the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to shut down to traffic and disrupted motorists in Downtown Cleveland on Saturday afternoon.
The protest originally started in Brook Park and then moved to the airport. It then moved to Downtown Cleveland before heading back toward Brook Park, causing major traffic backups and delays along the way.
Here's what one protester told News 5 about why they were protesting:
The airport reopened after it shut down all of its entrances for security reasons due to the large number of cars participating in the protest Saturday afternoon.
The airport said no flights were impacted by the protest.
UPDATE: Traffic is returning to normal. No impacts to flights have been reported. Thank you for your patience. https://t.co/rh8MK9z6VC
— Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) (@goingplacesCLE) March 9, 2024
The airport later set up a checkpoint at all entrances to ensure people are there for its intended use.
An airport official told News 5 that the entrances were shut down out of an abundance of safety, and this was done as a precaution.
Cleveland Police, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office and Brook Park Police responded to the area after hundreds of cars taking part in the caravan protest blocked traffic on the nearby roads.
According to Brook Park Police, the protest was peaceful while in the area and caused no damage.
Cleveland Police said no arrests were made, and no cars were towed. They received two apparent reports of damage.
News 5 investigative executive producer Mark Ackerman was nearby at the time of the protest.
Organizers posted on Instagram that the event was to show support by calling on all "Palestinians, supporters of Palestine, and all people of conscience in Cleveland for a car caravan."
The Cleveland Division of Police released a statement regarding the incident:
The Division of Police is aware of a protest caravan impeding traffic on I-480 near the Airport. We are actively working to resolve the situation in coordination with law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of all involved. We encourage commuters to use alternative routes to ease traffic congestion. Further updates will be provided as needed.
