LAX travelers abandon cars, walk to airport as protesters block building during Thanksgiving rush

Holiday travelers heading to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) faced severe disruptions as hundreds of protesters blocked the road outside during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, according to reports.

The demonstrations brought traffic outside the main airport building to a standstill, forcing people to abandon their cars and walk to the airport to catch their flights on time, according to FOX 11.

On Tuesday, the protesters marched onto Century Boulevard, blocking a major entrance to the airport and shutting down traffic around LAX’s main pickup and drop-off zones.

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Police in riot gear arrived and cleared the intersection shortly after 6:15 p.m., gradually allowing traffic to resume.

Fox News reported another protest broke out in Terminal 7 Wednesday morning involving workers from USWW, the nation’s largest security officers union.

At the center of the protest outside the airport is an escalating labor dispute with Flying Food Group, one of LAX’s largest airline catering contractors.

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Unite Here Local 11 and employees of Flying Food Group are demanding a new contract with higher wages while raising safety and labor concerns.

“Honestly, people don’t care about the people who make food and put it on their plates,” Susan Minato, co-president of Unite Here Local 11 told FOX 11.

“We wanted to make a statement.” 

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Minato acknowledged the disruption but defended the timing, arguing that demonstrations during peak travel periods are necessary to draw attention.

“It is a busy time of the year, no question,” she said. “But that’s also how you get some attention.”

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Earlier this year, the union successfully pushed for a city ordinance raising the minimum wage for hotel and airport workers to $30 by 2028.

While protests through Wednesday were not expected to block vehicle access, the New York Post reported that police were still preparing for disruptions amid the main holiday travel rush.