Pro-Palestinian protesters briefly shut down freeway in Los Angeles

A group of pro-Palestinian protesters briefly shut down a major freeway in Los Angeles, western U.S. state of California, during Tuesday morning's rush hour, reported Xinhua

The group appeared on the southbound side of the freeway near National Boulevard in Los Angeles's Westside around 9 a.m. local time. The freeway was shut down at National Boulevard as of 9:10 a.m. local time, but was completely reopened just over an hour after the protest started, reported a local news outlet, KTLA television station, citing police.

The protest was organized in part by a group named IfNotNow Los Angeles, which described itself on its Facebook page as "a movement in Los Angeles to end the American Jewish community's support for the occupation and gain freedom and dignity for all Israelis and Palestinians."

The group, in its Facebook post, demanded an arms embargo on Israel and an immediate ceasefire.

It said that "More than 40,000 Palestinians have already been killed by Israel, with the blessing and resources of the U.S.," and "The only way to end the genocide in Gaza and bring hostages home is with an immediate halt in U.S. weapons transfers to Israel."

California Highway Patrol officers quickly responded to the scene after protesters walked onto the north-south freeway.

A spokesperson for the group was quoted as saying by Los Angeles Times, the biggest newspaper on U.S. West Coast, that about 40 people participated in the protest and nine people were arrested.

Anti-war protests have spread across the United States amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Thousands of people were arrested at pro-Palestinian protests on dozens of university and college campuses across the country this year.