Several individuals supporting the Palestinian cause were apprehended for obstructing traffic on the way to Chicago’s O’Hare airport

Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked a freeway to one of the nation’s busiest airports, causing a travel nightmare in Chicago during Monday’s morning rush hour.

Protesters gathered Monday morning around 7:40 a.m. local time, blocking traffic on westbound Interstate 190 leading to O’Hare International Airport.

The commuting delays caused by the protesters prompted several passengers to abandon their vehicles and walk to the airport. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) had to take a later flight on Monday due to the protests at the Chicago airport.

Police arrested 40 protesters obstructing motorists from entering the airport. There were 31 women and nine men, ranging from 19 to 43 years old, arrested Monday morning. The traffic was alleviated following the arrests and resumed around 9:20 a.m.

The timing of the protests came after Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel; however, 99% of them were intercepted this weekend.

Chicago is the same city where a viral video spread on Saturday showing Hatem Abudayyeh, who heads the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, chanting “death to Israel” and “death to America” in Farsi with 300 activists.

Protesters were seen elsewhere around the country, including on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia, and at the entrance of the Lockheed Martin office in Virginia, among other organized protests against Israel.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said there needs to be “an end to this nonsense.”

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“If something like this happened in Arkansas, there’d be a lot of very wet criminals that have been tossed overboard by the people whose road they are blocking,” Cotton said Monday.

He added, “I encourage most people anywhere that gets stuck behind criminals like this who are trying to block traffic to take matters into their own hands. There’s only a few of them. A lot of people being inconvenienced. It’s time to put an end to this nonsense.”