People protesting black deaths by police block MN traffic

[catmt]

Demonstrators Block Highway Traffic in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Demonstrators are stopping traffic on a major highway near downtown Minneapolis.

Some protesters are fast-food workers asking for higher wages and union rights. Others are protesting a grand jury's decision not to charge a white police officer in the chokehold death of a black man in New York.

KSTP-TV reports the demonstrators are marching northbound on Interstate 35W. At one point, the demonstrators lay down and climbed on barriers.

Traffic is unable to move while demonstrators block the busy interstate Thursday.


ETA:
This is a better source with better information. Live updates. Protesting black deaths at the hands of police.

live.startribune.com/Event/Brown-Gardner_protest_in_south_Minneapolis?Page=0

[catmt]

35W N is already free flowing again. Not sure how the demonstrators were removed.

[gottadobe]

I'm not sure how I feel about this trend.

[catmt]

This is a better source with better information. Live updates. Protesting black deaths at the hands of police.

live.startribune.com/Event/Brown-Gardner_protest_in_south_Minneapolis?Page=0

[downtoearth]

I think this is a good way to protest. Inconveniencing everyday people who might not often stop to think about how their actions might be racist and stopping traffic temporarily so the police need to respond seems pretty reasonable.

Then again, I've been in one of those bike/critical mass events before that CEP seems to loathe.

[pixy0stix]

Dec 4, 2014 17:01:07 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

Then again, I've been in one of those bike/critical mass events before that CEP seems to loathe.

What is this?

[josieposy]

I'm not a fan. It doesn't do anything except piss people off. You don't get people on your side by preventing them from getting to wherever they need to go.

Thank goodness I didn't have a class tonight.

[meshaliuknits]

Dec 4, 2014 17:02:28 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Dec 4, 2014 17:01:07 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

Then again, I've been in one of those bike/critical mass events before that CEP seems to loathe.

What is this?

Bicyclists all ride their bikes in one place at the same time. Usually down a main drag. Not illegally, but motorists find it super annoying when they get stuck behind it. They're usually pretty well announced around here so IMO it's their own damned fault.

I like it b/c all the bikes are in the street and off the sidewalks. LOL

[pixy0stix]

Dec 4, 2014 17:03:31 GMT -5 josieposy said:

I'm not a fan. It doesn't do anything except piss people off. You don't get people on your side by preventing them from getting to wherever they need to go.

Thank goodness I didn't have a class tonight.

But if they're not pissed off, then they're not talking about it, and talking about it is what the protesters want.

[josieposy]

But people aren't talking about the issues. They are talking about the fact that they held up a major highway.

I'm on their side. Really. I just question the execution.

[pixy0stix]

Dec 4, 2014 17:10:58 GMT -5 josieposy said:

But people aren't talking about the issues. They are talking about the fact that they held up a major highway.

I'm on their side. Really. I just question the execution.

But the news is broadcasting the why.

There will be no change if everyone is silent.

[josieposy]

Dec 4, 2014 17:14:21 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Dec 4, 2014 17:10:58 GMT -5 josieposy said:

But people aren't talking about the issues. They are talking about the fact that they held up a major highway.

I'm on their side. Really. I just question the execution.

But the news is broadcasting the why.

There will be no change if everyone is silent.

I don't necessarily disagree. People should be talking about it.

[downtoearth]

Dec 4, 2014 17:20:01 GMT -5 josieposy said:

Dec 4, 2014 17:14:21 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

But the news is broadcasting the why.

There will be no change if everyone is silent.

I don't necessarily disagree. People should be talking about it.

I hate to be snarky about this but it does sound like you're saying, "oh yeah people should talk about racism but not if it inconveniences their every day life."

I think that's somewhat the point of protest like this - racism inconveniences minorities' lives every day and we should talk about that.

ETA I changed my there/their issue

[josieposy]

Dec 4, 2014 17:32:43 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

Dec 4, 2014 17:20:01 GMT -5 josieposy said:

I don't necessarily disagree. People should be talking about it.

I hate to be snarky about this but it does sound like you're saying, "oh yeah people should talk about racism but not if it inconveniences there every day life."

I think that's somewhat the point of protest like this - racism inconveniences minorities' lives every day and we should talk about that.

That's fine, but what I am saying is that the message is lost on a very large portion of the general public, so I question the effectiveness. If I had been sitting in traffic for 2 hours today because of this, I wouldn't have been thinking about the bigger picture either.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Dec 4, 2014 17:35:13 GMT -5 josieposy said:

Dec 4, 2014 17:32:43 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

I hate to be snarky about this but it does sound like you're saying, "oh yeah people should talk about racism but not if it inconveniences there every day life."

I think that's somewhat the point of protest like this - racism inconveniences minorities' lives every day and we should talk about that.

That's fine, but what I am saying is that the message is lost on a very large portion of the general public, so I question the effectiveness. If I had been sitting in traffic for 2 hours today because of this, I wouldn't have been thinking about the bigger picture either.

I question using 35w.

I agree with the general idea. I don't agree with the execution here.

[gottadobe]

Dec 4, 2014 17:37:30 GMT -5 incogneato said:

I just don't want anyone to get squished. Or to die bc their ambulance gets stuck in traffic. If we avoid that, have at it, protestors! It's called civil DISOBEDIENCE, not civil 'hope we don't annoy you.'

This is where I'm at.  I've seen pictures of them holding hands across the freeways, but here they decided to lay down in the damn road (road being major freeway).  At night.  with no police barricades blocking traffic  I just see people (protesters) being killed.

[pixy0stix]

I worried about people getting squished in Denver on the interstate. I understand going big or going home, but... that's just nuts.

[catmt]

Dec 4, 2014 17:58:33 GMT -5 gottadobe said:

Dec 4, 2014 17:37:30 GMT -5 incogneato said:

I just don't want anyone to get squished. Or to die bc their ambulance gets stuck in traffic. If we avoid that, have at it, protestors! It's called civil DISOBEDIENCE, not civil 'hope we don't annoy you.'

This is where I'm at.  I've seen pictures of them holding hands across the freeways, but here they decided to lay down in the damn road (road being major freeway).  At night.  with no police barricades blocking traffic  I just see people (protesters) being killed.

This was in the afternoon and the police were there blocking traffic.  All their statements are pretty supportive of the protestors. 

www.startribune.com/local/blogs/284800631.html