Several protesters were arrested outside Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, according to organizers and police.  

About 30 people from the group the Peoples Arms Embargo arrived at the base Wednesday morning to protest what they said was its “complicity with Israel’s ongoing war crimes” and for allegedly transporting weapons to Israel.  

According to police, the department tried to work with the organizers after the group declared its intent to create a human blockade during the morning commute.  

“The Fairfield Police Department initiated contact with the protest organizers to find a collaborative approach that would allow them to exercise their First Amendment rights while ensuring uninterrupted access to Travis Air Force Base, David Grant Medical Center, and the VA Clinic,” said a spokesperson for the department.  

Police said the protesters ignored warnings from officers and entered the intersection of Parker Road and Airbase Parkway.  

The Peoples Arms Embargo said it created a “human blockade” to interrupt commuter traffic.  

“Armed with Palestinian flags and banners, the group displayed the names and ages of some of the children that have been killed since Israel began its genocide in Gaza,” said a release sent out Wednesday evening from the group. “They formed a human blockade at the main entrance to the base, preventing the base from its normal operations.” 

Police said the protesters refused to yield to vehicles which had a green light, and 12 people who disregarded their orders were arrested.  

According to the activists, the arrested protesters were ultimately given citations to appear in court in May on allegations of blocking a roadway and failing to disperse.  

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.