BREAKING: Arab activist group shuts down Oakland's Bay Bridge to demand ceasefire in Gaza

Pro-Palestinian organizers shut down the Bay Bridge during the morning commute in Oakland on Thursday. The group was organized by the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC) in the Bay Area. The group blocked the roadway of the bridge with cars, lined up across the width of the bridge, and chanted "What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now."

They brought signs with them, reading "No US military aid to Israel" and "Stop the genocide." The cars were outfitted with signs calling for a ceasefire. Some of the participants wore medical masks.

AROC posted footage of the shutdown to X, calling on followers to "Join us! Tell [Biden] - Ceasefire NOW" and sharing the contact information for the White House. They spread a banner across the road as well. 

The activist group posted photos of arrests being made as officers attempted to clear the road and allow traffic to pass. 

President Biden was in San Francisco this week meeting with Chinese President Xi. The two men joined in a dinner on Wednesday night at which Gwen Stefani was the entertainment and tickets went for $40,000.

Wednesday also saw protests in Washington, DC, from activists who swarmed the Democratic National Committee headquarters to also call for a ceasefire. These protests against Israel's war against Palestinian terror group Hamas come after Israel was attacked by that group, with 1,200 Israelis slaughtered and over 200 kidnaped. Those kidnapped persons are still being held in Gaza by the terror group AROC wants Israel to stop fighting.

AROC is able to take tax-deductible donations due to its affiliation with the Tides Foundation, which acts as a not-for-profit umbrella for the group. The group claims to be "a grassroots organization working to empower and organize our community towards justice and self-determination for all. AROC members build community power in the Bay Area by participating in leadership development, political education, and campaigns."

Their mission does not mention their plans to shut down major roadways in an effort to gain attention for their foreign causes. The group "envisions powerful and liberated Arab communities living with dignity from here to our homelands. AROC sees the liberation of Arab people inextricably tied to the liberation of all people of color."

On their Facebook page, AROC has announced their plans to have a "Ceasefire Mass Meeting" which is set to take place on November 19. They are holding this meeting in association with other groups, including Bay Resistance, the Center for Political Education, and the Anti-Police Terror Project, which encourages the abolition of policing in Oakland.

"In this critical moment, we offer this mass meeting space to get clear on messaging and deepen our shared understanding of our organizing strategy. There will be space for political education, training on organizing skills, action planning, and spaces for arts and culture," they say in their post about the event.