Protestors Shutdown Part of Interstate 94

[riversedge]

Source: KSTP/abc

Protestors Shutdown Part of Interstate 94




Ellie Herman
Created: 07/09/2016 8:23 PM

A group protesting the death of Philando Castile in St. Paul Saturday night continued their march and shut down a part of Interstate 94 at Lexington Avenue.

Hundreds of protesters crossed I-94, blocking off the freeway in both directions. State Patrol officers are redirecting motor traffic as they cut off I-94 entrances at Dale Street.





Protestors shut down parts of I-94 in both directions near Lexington Avenue.
Photo: KSTP/Eric Chaloux


Read more: http://kstp.com/news/protestors-interstate-94/4194653/

---

No more in this story at the moment.
But some tweets...........



KSTP Retweeted
Alan Hoglund ?@alanhoglund 8m8 minutes ago



St Paul police on the move. Slowly marching toward protesters @KSTP






TWEET
KSTP ?@KSTP 17m17 minutes ago

Stay updated on the protest for #PhilandoCastile that is shutting down I-94
http://kstp.mn/94h2l







KSTP Retweeted
Alan Hoglund ?@alanhoglund 10m10 minutes ago

State Patrol presence building on I94 where protesters are blocking traffic. .@KSTP







KSTP Retweeted
Alan Hoglund ?@alanhoglund 19m19 minutes ago

Hard to tell what protesters are doing. Most are part of this circle. .@KSTP






KSTP Retweeted
Eric Chaloux ?@EChalouxKSTP 36m36 minutes ago

Breaking: Protestors shut down 94 #PhilandoCastile
9 retweets 4 likes






KSTP Retweeted
Brandi Powell ?@bpowellKSTP 42m42 minutes ago




Chopper5; People marching to honor life of #PhilandoCastile, blocking off parts of I-94 in both directions. @KSTP
19 retweets 6 likes






KSTP Retweeted
Alan Hoglund ?@alanhoglund 48m48 minutes ago

Protesters walking between cars. Some getting through slowly. @KSTP






KSTP Retweeted
Alan Hoglund ?@alanhoglund 55m55 minutes ago

BREAKING: Protesters blocking traffic on 94 at Lexington in St Paul. Chopper 5 on the way. @KSTP



8 retweets 5 likes




KSTP Retweeted
Joe Augustine ?@JAugustineKSTP 2h2 hours ago

Police are blocking protesters at entrance to Basilica Block Party after March thru downtown #PhilandoCastile @kstp

https://twitter.com/JAugustineKSTP/status/751924477282230273





Joe Augustine
?@JAugustineKSTP

Crowd gathering in Loring Park in support of #PhilandoCastile @KSTP

[BlueNoMatterWho]

1. Hopefully no emergency vehicles or people in vehicles with medical emergencies being shut down.

[HERVEPA]

2. Your concern is noted.

[BlueNoMatterWho]

3. Thank you

My wife has several medical problems she deals with and unfortunately needs to be transported to the hospital a few times a year. While I understand and support the protesters, I would be livid if she got stuck in traffic for hours because of people blocking traffic.

[Travis_0004]

4. Their lack of concern is also noted

I will say though, incidents like this kind of tick me off. The police need to go out there an arrest anybody on the highway instead of just standing there.

[7962]

8. Agreed

its only a matter of time before people start driving through them. Then what

[840high]

5. That was my first thought.

[uppityperson]

6. Hopefully police will quit killing people and be held responsible for their actions

If traffic has to be interrupted for a bit, fine with me. There's a much bigger issue here.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Not cool. Point can be made better by not interrupting vital services.

This is NOT civil disobedience. Disobedience, it is, but it is not civil.

This is not like sitting in at a lunch counter.

For street theater, surround a donut shop, especially if there is a cop car in the parking lot. One cop car will not make a difference. A whole interstate can make a difference to a life.

Negative points taking a life to protest taking a life.

Surround the factory that makes police guns to make a point.

Let a truck leave the factory and surround the truck.

Form a giant gun symbol in a field.

Block a football game.

So many things to do that would make bigger better points than blocking a vital artery.

[scscholar]

18. This, and from the pictures it is the police that are doing the most effective blocking

Why don't we hold the police accountable for what they have done to us?

[Chemisse]

7. There are a lot of black men being murdered.

I hope nobody has their medical treatment delayed because of this also.

However, I KNOW a lot of black men have been murdered at the hands of police officers, and I KNOW there will be more to come if this isn't somehow stopped - if we don't call attention to it in a dramatic way.

I would say that outweighs concerns that someone might be slowed down en route to the hospital.

[Hoppy]

19. Please explain the connection between shutting down the highway and changing police behavior.

[Chemisse]

34. Please explain the connection between a Congressional 'sit-in' and getting a guns bill passed.

Obviously there is not a direct connection, but there will not be an appetite for change without raising public awareness.

[Hoppy]

35. The difference is that nothing gets voted on in Congress, anyway. No harm was done. No one was

inconvenienced. I supported the Congressional sit-in.

If I was blocked from driving on Rt 78 because a few assholes decided to sit on or run onto the road --- no matter what their cause, the cause would get no support from me.

[Sand Rat Expat]

37. "I would say that outweighs concerns that someone might be slowed down en route to the hospital."

Sure you'd say that, right up until it was your family member who died en route to the hospital because of the delay in getting them necessary treatment.

[Corporate666]

42. You need a reality check

It's OK to risk someone dying because you feel the issue is an important one?

That's patently ridiculous.

If blocking highways was the only option, you could at least make a reasonable argument. But it's not, so you can't.

Each of these people blocking the road should be arrested. There are plenty of ways to protest that doesn't cause economic and health problems to the community.

[riversedge]

10. Alan Hoglund Retweeted St. Paul Police PIO ‏@sppdPIO 31m31 minutes ago SPPD negotiating with protes

This is the strangest thing I have ever heard of.


Alan Hoglund Retweeted
St. Paul Police PIO ?@sppdPIO 31m31 minutes ago

SPPD negotiating with protesters on I-94 to make symbolic arrests. Protesters in process of choosing those who will be arrested. #I94closed
57 retweets 23 likes

[christx30]

12. This is what it looked like when they did it yesterday.

http://imgur.com/gallery/TTWIrSs
They pretty much just walk out among the cars going 65 mph, waving their arms, expecting the cars to slam on their brakes.
Should answer your question.

[JustinL]

16. Amazing footage! I love the guts and determination of the protesters.

It reminds me of the contrasting right-wing demonstration in DC a few years back, where the fearful racist participants were given maps of where all the scary black people live.

[riversedge]

32. Stupid. Stupid. Someone is going to get killed.

[riversedge]

14. They did a good job of blocking I-35 last winter a few times also.in Minneapolis

[riversedge]

15. Thanks to Black Lives Matter I've had to wait in traffic for an hour to go a quarter of a mile.

Daniel Wester ?@wester_daniel 1h1 hour ago St Paul, MN

Thanks to Black Lives Matter I've had to wait in traffic for an hour to go a quarter of a mile. #Protests #94

[riversedge]

17. Oh, no, Protesters are throwing bottles and firecrackers at police...per police tweet..

St. Paul Police PIO ?@sppdPIO 2m2 minutes ago





St. Paul Police PIO Retweeted Timothy Blotz

:large

Image of fireworks being thrown, injuring officer. #I94closed

St. Paul Police PIO added,
Timothy Blotz @TimBlotzFOX9



St. Paul Police PIO ?@sppdPIO 30m30 minutes ago

Protesters are being arrested on I94. #I94closed




BREAKING: Protestors on I-94 now throwing fireworks at police.
21 retweets 2 likes
St. Paul Police PIO ?@sppdPIO 3m3 minutes ago

Note to public: Please stay away from the area of I94 and Dale Street. Officers working hard, need few distractions. #I94closed
42 retweets 22 likes



St. Paul Police PIO ?@sppdPIO 13m13 minutes ago

Officer injured after being hit with a glass bottle thrown by protesters. #I94closed
84 retweets 9 likes




St. Paul Police PIO ?@sppdPIO 39m39 minutes ago

Protesters just told--again--that they are participating in an unlawful assembly and that they can leave either north or south. #I94closed
26 retweets 4 likes



St. Paul Police PIO ?@sppdPIO 46m46 minutes ago

SPPD has given 16 dispersal orders. Protesters still not leaving the freeway, continue to create safety hazard. #I94closed
59 retweets 12 likes




St. Paul Police PIO ?@sppdPIO 48m48 minutes ago

Due to size of crowd and number of possible arrests, MN State Patrol made mutual aid request for assistance with I94 protesters. #I94closed

[romanic]

20. Whoever threw fireworks are idiots.

Just amping up more tension. :mad

[riversedge]

21. Agree! and ...Looks like the police are hitting back.....

Reporter is from the St. Paul Pioneer Press



Tweets & replies Media

Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 2m2 minutes ago

"Do not stoop down to their level," says person on loudspeaker now, telling individuals not to throw things.
1 retweet 1 like

Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 4m4 minutes ago

Man on bridge tells people to stop throwing fireworks.
2 retweets 1 like


Mara Gottfried Verified account
?@MaraGottfried

Bangs and smoke from devices apparently thrown by police.

[riversedge]

22. Tomorrow's @PioneerPress newspaper today. #194closed==PHOTO...of Front page....

Valerie Reichel ?@valerieraer 20m20 minutes ago

Tomorrow's @PioneerPress newspaper today. #194closed #PhilandoCastile

[riversedge]

23. Police just threw green smoke. People leaving bridge. Now at Concordia and Grotto.

Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried now

More glass breaking in street with people apparently throwing things.





Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 2m2 minutes ago

Police just threw green smoke.







Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 17m17 minutes ago

12:08 a.m. and they're marching away from I-94 shutdown for #PhilandoCastile protest.




Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 19m19 minutes ago

People leaving bridge. Now at Concordia and Grotto.







Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 23m23 minutes ago

Police lined up below. Woman on loudspeaker says to cheer loud enough so people in paddy wagon can hear them.
4 retweets 2 likes
Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 26m26 minutes ago

Nothing has changed on highway. Officers still lined up. People still next to highway on grassy hill.
1 retweet 0 likes
Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 27m27 minutes ago

They're holding up the Black Lives Matter banner on the pedestrian bridge.
2 retweets 1 like
Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 28m28 minutes ago

Woman on loudspeaker tells people on hill next to I-94 to make some noise if they're ready to back to Governor's Mansion. They do.
1 retweet 0 likes
Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 32m32 minutes ago

Officers still lined up. Many people on side of highway. #PhilandoCastile protest.
1 retweet 1 like
Mara Gottfried Retweeted
Unicorn Riot ?@UR_Ninja 34m34 minutes ago

Police have moved up to grassy area - Bridge is chanting hands up don't shoot http://bit.ly/1Re0Y6S
33 retweets 11 likes
Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 34m34 minutes ago

Pedestrian bridge over I-94 shutdown by #PhilandoCastile protesters.
0 retweets 0 likes
Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 35m35 minutes ago

Officers advancing. People walking up grassy hill off I-94.





Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 38m38 minutes ago

Woman on loud speaker on pedestrian bridge: "Anyone who's throwing things, they're not with Black Lives Matter."
17 retweets 13 likes





Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 41m41 minutes ago

From pedestrian bridge, "Watch your back! They're moving in ... Here they come" as more officers cross to I-94 east lanes.
4 retweets 0 likes
Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 45m45 minutes ago

Officers that advanced are lined up on right. Still on other side of highway.
2 retweets 1 like
Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 46m46 minutes ago

Officer gives another dispersal warning. People shout, "F--- you!"





Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 47m47 minutes ago

Officers are advancing again from other side of I-94. Some people rushing off highway.
4 retweets 3 likes





Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 48m48 minutes ago

Woman on loudspeaker on pedestrian bridge, "This is not illegal and we are exercising our First Amendment right to protest"
1 retweet 3 likes





Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 50m50 minutes ago





Man shouts from pedestrian bridge, "You work for us!"






Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 54m54 minutes ago

Officer, "Please leave the area now." Woman on loud speaker, "We are peaceful and y'all are violent" and crowd joins chant.
19 retweets 10 likes
Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 55m55 minutes ago

Woman speaking to crowd from pedestrian bridge says the first people maced were children. "That's cowardly shit," she announces.
36 retweets 18 likes
Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 60m60 minutes ago

Facing off. Group chanting, "we're gonna be all right."






Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 1h1 hour ago

Looks like police are making more arrests now.
4 retweets 1 like




Mara Gottfried Retweeted
Libor Jany ?@StribJany 1h1 hour ago


Officers are being instructed to don gas masks; "Anybody on the highway without a mask, fall back behind the line.

[riversedge]

24. Looks like they're trying to mark who's throwing things

Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 2m2 minutes ago

People are saying, "We live here! This is our city!"
1 retweet 2 likes




Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 3m3 minutes ago

People lined up across street. Officer says someone has a bottle in his hand.



1 retweet 0 likes
Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 4m4 minutes ago

Police have marking rounds. Haven't shot them here yet. Looks like they're trying to mark who's throwing things.

[riversedge]

25. When I left the area a few minutes ago the interstate was clear of official BLM protestors, who had

Pioneer Press Retweeted
FredMelo, Reporter ?@FrederickMelo 47s48 seconds ago

When I left the area a few minutes ago the interstate was clear of official BLM protestors, who had left for the governor's mansion, but...

[ram2008]

26. Well that's certainly a brilliant way to get people to go AGAINST your cause

Sigh.

[riversedge]

31. Yes, not good. The leaders of the protest were yelling via loudspeakers to

stop throwing things. They did not want violence.

[Sand Rat Expat]

38. Unfortunately...

When you get a lot of people together for a cause that's very emotionally charged, tempers are going to flare, and once it happens, it's a self-perpetuating cycle. Just the way people are. I'm glad it was very clear that it wasn't the intent of the protest, though, and just a few people who got out of hand.

[BlueNoMatterWho]

27. The live streamer said he thought at least 50 people had been arrested.

[BlueNoMatterWho]

28. Not good

"5th police officer injured, hit by large piece of concrete believed to have been dropped from overpass at BLM protest in St. Paul, MN"

https://twitter.com/bnonews/status/752006256542490624

[riversedge]

29. John Nichols & LIVE: Indigenous Dances take I94 in solidairty with shutdown and

John Nichols ?@NicholsUprising 3h3 hours ago

John Nichols Retweeted Unicorn Riot

Remarkable scenes tonight from the Twin Cities demonstrations in solidarity w/ #PhilandoCastile #BlackLivesMatter.




https://twitter.com/UR_Ninja/status/751957760472784896
Unicorn Riot
?@UR_Ninja

LIVE: Indigenous Dances take I94 in solidairty with shutdown and #PhilandoCastile http://bit.ly/1Re0Y6S #StPaul

[riversedge]

30. 1 AM---this is still going on... An officer was just hit in face with bottle thrown by a protester

Mara Gottfried Retweeted
St. Paul Police PIO ?@sppdPIO 54s54 seconds ago

An officer was just hit in face with bottle thrown by a protester on St. Paul street. #I94closed
10 retweets 3 likes
Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 3m3 minutes ago

St. Paul police say at least four officers injured during #PhilandoCastile protest. None seriously.
1 retweet 0 likes
Mara Gottfried ?@MaraGottfried 11m11 minutes ago

Officers lined up along I-94 fence line still near Grotto and Concordia.

[riversedge]

33. NEW: Protesters shut down Interstate 94 near downtown St. Paul, MN

ABC News ?@ABC 10m10 minutes ago

NEW: Protesters shut down Interstate 94 near downtown St. Paul, MN http://abcn.ws/29E1gFP

:large




Protesters Shut Down Interstate 94 Near Downtown St. Paul

By sadie gurman and skip foreman, associated press

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Jul 10, 2016, 2:25 AM ET

Police Shootings MinnesotaThe Associated Press
Law enforcement form a line across Interstate 94 on Saturday, July 9, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn., in response to protesters who blocked the highway. The protesters were rallying in response to the death of Philando Castile, who was shot and killed by a suburban St. Paul police officer on July 6. (AP Photo/Joe Danborn)
more +

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Police used smoke bombs to clear demonstrators blocking Interstate 94 in St. Paul late Saturday night during a protest sparked by the recent police killings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana.

The smoke was used after about 200 protesters refused to leave the roadway just after midnight as police in riot gear slowly moved in. The St. Paul Police Department tweeted that arrests were made, but didn't indicate how many, and said at least five officers were injured by rocks, firecrackers and other debris thrown by protesters.

Mike Martin, who wore a guitar on his back and said he was trying to promote peace, was pepper sprayed by a police officer on a pedestrian bridge overlooking the interstate. He said he was trying to move the crowd along and keep the peace.

"I guess I wasn't moving fast enough for him," said Martin, who estimated the officer was six feet away and sprayed without warning. "He just got it out and bam, I saw a cloud. It's burning pretty bad.".....................

[minnesota_liberal]

36. There's a Disconnect Here

I recognize that African-Americans have a long history of being oppressed in our country and are routinely subject to racial profiling with regard to traffic stops. I also recognize that, compared to males of other races, blacks are killed in confrontations with police in a disproportionately high percentage of the total population. That part I get.

But I don't see the illegal blockage of an interstate highway as being justified by anything and if I were subjected to sitting in traffic for 2 hours as a result, I would be seriously pissed off.

Do those who blocked the Interstate really think it will sway new followers to support their cause?

In my case, it has the opposite effect.

[romanic]

41. I'm watching the livestream of the protest in Memphis

and there was a disconnect between protestors that wanted to leave peacefully after some time on the freeway and a few who wanted to stay and continue to stare down the police, some of them cussing out their fellow protestors :/. There definitely is a disconnect in BLM protests that have proven time and time again have no effect on police brutality.

[TipTok]

39. This tactic is one of the best examples proving...

... that these folks don't care about results. They just want to emotionally vomit and make everyone else as miserable as they are.

[riversedge]

40. Sun Headline: Peaceful protests turned violent; 21 officers injured, 102 people arrested

Throwing glass bottles at the police is not good, not good at all.


Peaceful protests turned violent; 21 officers injured, 102 people arrested


http://www.twincities.com/2016/07/09/amid-racial-strife-hundreds-seek-answers-in-protests-church-service/






By Mara H. Gottfried | [e-mail], Josh Verges | [e-mail], Frederick Melo | [e-mail] and Andy Rathbun | [e-mail]


PUBLISHED: July 9, 2016 at 8:08 pm | UPDATED: July 10, 2016 at 2:21 pm

..............

Demonstrators shut down Interstate 94 for about six hours. People threw rocks, fireworks and other objects at officers, leaving 21 injured, according to the St. Paul police chief. Between the highway protest, and a march that followed on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue early Sunday, police arrested 102 people.
...............................

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said Sunday morning that officers working at the protests “acted with extreme professionalism, extreme patience, extreme tolerance to try” to continue “to protect the ability of the people to peacefully protest, but drawing the line when peaceful acts of protest turn into acts of violence.

Coleman said St. Paul would not “tolerate the kind of shameful violence.”

“What happened last night and early this morning does a disservice to those that have lost their lives this last week, whether it was Philandro Castile in Falcon Heights or the officers (who were killed) in Dallas,” during a protest there, the mayor said. “This is not about grief, this is not about protest, this is about rioting, this is about violence. … This doesn’t honor anyone’s memory.”

Rashad Turner, a Black Lives Matter St. Paul leader, said Sunday that the people being violent and throwing rocks were not from his community......................

[geardaddy]

43. I'm not sure what Loring Park has to do with shutting down 94

I know they were also protesting in support of Mr. Castile, but otherwise it's not related to the 94 shutdown.