Protesters block lanes on I-5 in Seattle

Pro-Palestine demonstrators shut down I-5 in Seattle

All lanes of northbound I-5 were blocked near Pine St. in Seattle due to a massive protest, with demonstrators calling for a ceasefire in Palestine.

SEATTLE - After hours of traffic backups spanning several miles, I-5 in Seattle has reopened. It was previously shut down by protesters calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The protest shut down all northbound lanes earlier in the day.

As of 5 p.m. Saturday, all protesters left the freeway, although 12 vehicles were abandoned by drivers during the hours-long backup, according to Washington State Patrol (WSP).

According to WSP, drivers who abandoned their cars will be responsible for the impound fees.

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Throughout the incident, there were no reported injuries, officials said.

Some onlookers told FOX 13 News they believe the protesters’ actions were dangerous.

"There’s[sic] people that have medical issues," said Theresa. "They have places to go and these people just disrupted all of that. They have no right to do this, and it’s unfair that the police allowed this to go on for as long as it has."

Around 3:40 p.m., WSP and Seattle Police issued a dispersal order for protesters to leave the freeway. Despite the order, the crowd did not leave.

"I think there are other ways this group can get their message across," said onlooker Alex Alverez. "There could be other ways, like going to City Hall and having a peaceful demonstration."

All northbound I-5 lanes were blocked between I-90 and Mercer Street in Seattle.

According to WSDOT, all traffic had to be diverted onto eastbound I-90. At one point, traffic was backed up six miles.

"We can see the skyline," said driver Lindsey Kosaki during a phone interview with FOX 13 News. "But we’re not moving."

Kosaki said what would normally be a 15-minute drive from SeaTac to Northgate had her stuck in traffic for hours with other drivers.

"At one point, it got a a bit stressful and kind of tense between the cars," she said. "There was a little bit of honking and things were moving very slow."

Luckily, the protesters and their I-5 shutdown didn’t impact any ambulance or emergency vehicle runs.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.