Protesters Block 101 Freeway During Rush Hour, Attack CHP Car In Anger Over George Floyd Death

Bruce Haring
·2 min read

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Both sides of the 101 Freeway were blocked on Wednesday night by protesters condemning the death of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who died Monday while in police custody in that city.

Crowds gathered earlier in downtown to rail against Floyd’s treatment, organized by the Black Lives Matter movement, who tweeted out details on where to meet.

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Floyd, an African American man, was pinned to the street in Minnesota by the knee of a police officer during his arrest. Despite his protests that he couldn’t breathe, he was continually restrained in the position, and subsequently died.

Police claim he resisted arrest, but subsequent video seemed to belie that. The four Minneapolis police officers involved in that incident were fired and face criminal charges in Floyd’s death.

Los Angeles protesters blocked the freeway and reports indicate at least one person has been injured. A patrol car had its windows smashed.

The Floyd case has drawn national attention and sparked two nights of violent protests in Minneapolis.

Earlier in the day, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore issued a statement calling the Minneapolis video disturbing.

By 6:25 p.m., protesters began moving off the freeway. The crowd moved through LA streets and then ended the protest at about 7:30 PM.

Reports indicate the LAPD was on tactical alert during the protest. LAPD issued its own tweets on the protest.

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