J29 LAX Airport Blockade Reportback

Submitted to It’s Going Down
Photo Gallery Submitted by Author

At 1 pm at LAX Tom Bradley International Airport in Los Angeles, hundreds of people held space in and around the departure gates and on the sidewalk. Confused at why the lanes of the entire airport weren’t all blocked, a comrade and I joined 3 or 4 others holding up the crosswalk, encouraging the hundreds of others to come into the street. After a mere few moments, 40 or so joined us which then caused a total flood. Suddenly the entire protest of nearly a thousand people was marching across all lanes.

Together as one, the people did several loops around the entire airport before occupying both top and bottom floors of LAX, a total of 10+ lanes, preventing both arrivals and departures traffic from entering the airport. Police presence was very low, distant, and hands off. Crowd was largely unmasked, very few interested in any anti-cop sentiment, but for the most part peace police were at an all-time low.

Much space made for POC speakers and chants, many in native tongue. Waves of people could be convinced to go this way and that, and with the collective empowerment, we held the lanes for 3 or so hours, undoubtedly disrupting immeasurable capital and clogging traffic for hours on several major highways that lead to the airport. Pizza, donuts, and water shared by all.