May Day protests at San Francisco and Oakland airports block terminal roadways

May Day protesters disrupted access to the terminals at San Francisco and Oakland airports on Friday, authorities said.

An SFO spokesperson said the departures-level roadway at the airport's international terminal was blocked between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Demonstrators called for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to end deportation operations at the airport and for support of union workers. The "ICE out of SFO" rally saw dozens of protesters both on the sidewalk and spilling onto the roadway.

Passengers departing on international flights were directed to the arrivals level for drop-off during the disruption, the spokesperson said.

There were a handful of arrests, among those were San Francisco supervisors Connie Chan and Rafael Mandelman, and state Sen. Josh Becker (D-San Jose). The San Francisco Police Department said 25 people were arrested and cited at the scene.

At OAK, protesters also temporarily blocked the Airport Drive in front of the terminals on Friday morning. Demonstrators met at the nearby ILWU Local 6 union hall on Hegenberger Road and marched to the airport. 

In addition to protesting against ICE, demonstrators also called for an end to what they say are weapons shipments out Oakland's airport to Israel for use in the war in Gaza. The ILWU has also called for the Port of Oakland to defend port jobs and to be taxed to fund public schools.

May Day events were scheduled around the Bay Area on Friday, part of a International Workers Day boycott in which people were asked to withhold labor, stay out of school, and avoid shopping, according to organizers. The protests seek to shine a light on income inequality and the plight of the working class, as well as demonstrating opposition to Trump administration policies.

Afternoon rallies and marches were scheduled in Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, and Sonoma, among other Bay Area  cities.