Protestors block entrance to Kirtland Air Force Base
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Traffic was backed up Thursday morning around the entrance to Kirtland Air Force Base on Louisiana and Gibson as activists have blocked the street in protest of the U.S. Government’s financial support of Israel’s war in Gaza.
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Protesters began blocking the entrance around 6:30 on Thursday morning. The Albuquerque Police Department eventually cut off all traffic in the area. “I think it’s complicated to say that this is a frontline, but, for me, it’s… it’s impossible to sit by and to be inactive, and to live a comfortable life as if I don’t know what’s happening,” said a protester. The protestors left on their own around 1:30 p.m.
The protest shut down access to Wherry Elementary School. They shifted to online classes but a teacher at the school told KRQE News 13 that the protest blocked food access to students and some testing.
Other neighboring businesses were also affected like Family Appliances where one worker spoke to KRQE News 13 but didn’t want to show their face on camera. “It really slowed us down, it’s just due to the fact that our techs weren’t even able to come in, so they weren’t even to fix, like, to do like, repairs on our appliances, it was like, it was pretty bad,” said an employee.
Kirtland Air Force Base says operations were unaffected today aside from the temporary closure of the Louisiana gate.
