Chicago protests: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators disrupt traffic into downtown, hold march at DePaul
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A pro-Palestinian demonstration set out to block a major roadway on Monday in downtown Chicago.
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Palestinian Youth and Allies blocked the Kennedy Expressway Ohio Street exit into the city around 7:30 a.m.
The group said they are doing it during rush hour to "honor one year of anti-colonial Palestinian resistance."
Chopper 7 was over the scene at 8:30 a.m. as traffic was stalled for miles on the eastbound Ohio Street exit.
By 9 a.m., all lanes were back open and protesters were seen walking on Orleans Street alongside Chicago police.
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However, the build-up from morning rush hour took a while to clear.
The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications confirmed a traffic disruption at eastbound Ohio Feeder Ramp due to protest activity.
DePaul students hold march in support of Palestinians
Meanwhile, a march for students in support of Palestinians got underway in Lincoln Park on Monday afternoon.
Students on both sides of the issue paid tribute to the lives that were lost one year ago, on Oct. 7, 2023, and beyond.
Inside the DePaul University student center, the students supporting Israel put up a large display to remember the Hamas attack that left more than 1,200 people dead. More than 200 were taken as hostages during a music festival in Israel, near Gaza. Some of the hostages were younger than 1 year old.
Michael Kaminsky, the vice president of Students Supporting Israel, says the display was not a political stance, but an educational opportunity to show that the attack impacted more than just the Jewish community.
READ ALSO | Monday marks 1 year since Oct. 7 attack on Israelis that sparked the Israel-Hamas war
"You don't have to be Jewish, you don't have to meet Muslim, you don't have to be, you know, anybody? It's people, innocent people that were being kidnapped, that were being, you know, targeted simply for the fact that they lived in the land of Israel," Kaminsky said.
A block down the road, Students for Justice in Palestine had a memorial. They had baby bottles filled with symbolic blood and the 1,000 shoes on display all to emphasize their message that the war didn't begin last October. After reading the names of babies who have been killed, they took their message to the streets.
"We want to bring back the humanization of Palestinians, especially children, because we realize over 40,000 people have died, which is why we wanted visual representation," said DePaul Students for Justice Palestine Co-President Henna Ayesh.
Students for Justice in Palestine marched toward the student center after being told they would be arrested for being on private property inside the quad at DePaul.
Despite being on opposite sides of the issue, both student groups took time to honor the innocent lives that were lost and told ABC7 they want to stop more from being killed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
