Protesters shut down Minneapolis freeway during rush hour

More than a dozen protesters are blocking five lanes on southbound Interstate 35W near University Avenue Wednesday. Law enforcement officers arrested 41 people and said they are expected to be charged.

WCCO reports that the group is protesting the fatal shooting of Philando Castile.

The Minnesota State Patrol, Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies and University of Minnesota police responded to the area and closed the freeway “for the safety of the protesters, motorists and first responders”, the Minnesota State Police said.

The closure of I-35W comes days after protesters shut down Interstate 94, demanding justice for Castile and the other black men who have been killed by police recently. Tow trucks were called in to remove the protest vehicles from the roadway, and a Metro Transit bus was used to transport demonstrators after they were arrested.

What started as a few police cars grew to around 15 troopers by mid-morning. The release calls for the dismantling and defunding of police departments, saying “real security does not lie in use of aggression and force”.

The interstate reopened to traffic around 9:18 a.m.

Protesters have also been holding a vigil at the Governor’s Residence in St. Paul since last Thursday, according to WCCO.

Smilar protests as those in Minneapolis, the hometown of Philando Castile, have taken place around the country from California to NY.

The protest on I-35W wasn’t the only demonstration Wednesday morning. Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, live-streamed the aftermath of the shooting and said that police pulled Castile’s auto over because of what an officer said was a broken tail light.

Minneapolis Police Federation President Bob Kroll told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he commended the officers, who have decided not to work at future games, and said they were only there “because the Lynx have such a pathetic draw”.