Protesters swarm Portland highway, block traffic

Thomas Catenacci, DCNF

Thousands of protesters swarmed Interstate 84 in Portland Monday night, blocking traffic on both sides, Oregon Live reported.

The crowd gathered at a music venue named Revolution Hall before setting off for the highway, Courthouse News reporter Karina Brown wrote on Twitter. Once the protesters reached the I-84 the protesters paused blocking traffic on both the eastbound and westbound lanes, according to video Brown posted.

“Whose streets? Our streets!” pic.twitter.com/WvXqVfFtJM

— Karina Brown (@karinapdx) June 9, 2020

After marching just under a mile on the highway the group exited chanting “f*** gentrification” and “black is beautiful,” Brown said.

Portland protesters blocked traffic in a similar way a week ago when they formed a human chain outside of the Portland police station demanding to meet with Portland Police Chief Frank Clark. The protesters blocked traffic around the station, formed a human chain and lay on the street during the May 31 protest, according to the Portland Press Herald.

The protest was organized in response to the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis police custody May 25 after an officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes.

Protesters in Portland aren’t the only ones to use this tactic during demonstrations

Last week, protesters marched on FDR Drive in New York City, I-695 in DC, I-84 in Connecticut, and U.S. Highway 101 in Palo Alto. Protesters even marched on and blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge Saturday.

Protesters in the Twin Cities clogged both Interstate 35W and Interstate 94 last week. At one point, a tanker truck nearly crashed into the protesters on the highway.

A 2018 bill made it illegal for Minnesotans to block transit traffic. The bill was passed after protesters blocked Minnesota traffic in response to the not-guilty verdict of the former police officer who fatally shot Philando Castile in 2016, according to Pioneer Press.

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