The I880 Freeway in downtown Oakland was blocked for some three and a half hours last evening as more than 3000 people responded on a day’s notice to a Facebook event post calling on Oakland to SHUT It DOWN in response to the executions of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. The Freeway was taken at approximately 8:30 PM, after thousands marched from Oscar Grant Plaza to the downtown Police Station and then, finding the freeway unguarded by the usual CHP patrols, up the Broadway ramp. Watch in fast motion as one by one, lanes were blocked.
#Oakland (7/7/2016) Highway 880 shutdown #AltonSterling #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/Oal2wrhoyS
— M. H Arsalai (@ArsalaiH) July 8, 2016
This is what the shutdown looked like at its prime from far above.
The shutdown ended some time around midnight, as many blockers left, the police presence increased, and squads eventually pushing forward and clearing off those remaining. If there were any arrests atop the freeway they were not noted. A few arrests were made at street level by OPD:
Oakland police investigating and making arrests after last night’s massive protest and freeway shutdown. pic.twitter.com/sfBE5UPQy0
— Darwin BondGraham (@DarwinBondGraha) July 8, 2016
Video from the rally, at the police station and atop the freeway.
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