Garland police arrested 23 anti-war demonstrators outside a local General Dynamics factory who were protesting the military contractor Thursday for manufacturing munitions that have been sent to Israel.
Garland police said the people and their vehicles obstructed both the northbound and southbound lanes of North Glenbrook Drive early Thursday morning, blocking business entrances and preventing employees from leaving or arriving.
Some of those arrested were charged with obstructing a roadway and others were charged with criminal trespass, according to Garland police. Thirteen vehicles were towed from the scene.
Outside the Garland Detention Center Thursday afternoon, supporters rallied for their release, including Jo Hargis with the grassroots group Dallas Anti-War Committee.
"The situation in Rafah is so dire that we feel urgently that the production of these bombs needs to be stopped," Hargis said.
Since Israel began its offensive in Gaza in the wake of the deadly Hamas-led attack in Israel — in which about 1,200 people were killed — about 1.4 million Palestinians have taken refuge in Rafah, a town near the border of Egypt. Rafah previously had 250,000 people. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Oct. 7 attack, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The 23 people arrested Thursday were part of a protest to stop operations of weapons they say are used by Israel. Party for Socialism and Liberation Dallas-Fort Worth branch posted a video of protesters in Garland Thursday morning shutting down roads in front of the facility.
"We demand justice for our people in Gaza, we demand a ceasefire now, and we demand these weapons manufacturers outside of our cities today and every single day until it happens," one protester said in the video posted to Instagram.
PSL Dallas-Fort Worth shared a list of 22 area companies they say produce and supply weapons and surveillance for Israel. General Dynamics is included on the list.
KERA News reached out to General Dynamics for comment, but they did not immediately respond.
The protests happened the same day President Joe Biden is expected to announce a temporary port on Gaza's coast to increase aid into the territory. Talks of a ceasefire between Hamas and a international mediators in Cairo stalled this week.
"Since our government isn't going to stop them, and is in fact enabling and perpetuating this genocide, that if we want these bombs to stop, we're going to have to stop them ourselves," Hargis said.
Protests for a ceasefire have spread throughout the country since October, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
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