Pro-Armenian demonstrators block 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles

Vivian Chow
·2 min read
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Pro-Armenian demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles late Tuesday night to highlight the ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan that some fear could escalate into a war.

The protest occurred around 10:30 p.m.

A large group of demonstrators were seen waving Armenian flags along with a large sign that read, “Joe Biden Don’t Ignore Us.”

Sky5 video showed the crowd stopped outside on the freeway while their vehicles were parked in a cluster. Traffic was backed up for miles as California Highway Patrol officers directed drivers.

  • Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)
    Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)
  • Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)
    Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)
  • Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)
    Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)
  • Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)
    Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)
  • Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)
    Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)
  • Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)
    Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)
  • Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)
    Demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway calling attention to the ongoing crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)

Azerbaijan’s launch of reportedly intense artillery firing in the Nagorno-Karabakh region on Tuesday raised fears that another full-scale conflict with Armenia could be underway, less than three years after a war that killed more than 6,000 people, according to the Associated Press.

A SigAlert was issued for the northbound and southbound lanes of the 101 Freeway at Glendale Boulevard. By 11 p.m., two northbound lanes were reopened.

Azerbaijan and Armenian forces reached a cease-fire agreement Wednesday to end two days of fighting in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region that has been a flashpoint for decades, officials on both sides said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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