COURTESY OF MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE
Protesters blocked highways near Boston this morning.
BOSTON – Protestors blocked off highway routes to and from Boston during rush hour this morning.
The Boston chapter of the nationwide group Black Lives Matter took credit for the protest. They reported that 23 protesters were arrested. Police said there were 29 arrests.
As for the reason for the protest, Deray McKesson tweeted on the Black Lives Matter’s Twitter account, “Protest is always confrontation. Protest is always disruption. The protests will end when justice begins. And not a day sooner.”
The group, which had their arms chained to 1,200 pound barrels, closed down all lanes of Route 93 on both the north and southbound sides, at about 7:30 a.m., spreading across the roadway and chaining themselves to traffic barrels.
In response, state police shut down Interstate 93 North at East Milton Square south of the city and 93 South at Mystic Avenue north of the city.
Police are working to clear the protesters now with at least 17 arrests. Motorists are experiencing major delays.
State police first became aware of the protest just before &:30 this morning and asked motorists to avoid the area. “I-93 protesters have attached themselves to 1,200 pound barrels. Officials working to clear roadways,” police stated.
Within an hour, police announced they had removed protesters and opened up I-93-southboard at Medford and at Mystic Valley Parkway.
Police said 14 protesters at Route 93 in Medford were moved to the side. Shortly thereafter, police announced that 17 protesters were arrested at Route 93 southbound near Medford and six protesters were arrested at Route 93 northbound.
By 9 a.m., Route 93 at Milton continued to be narrowed to one lane as police removed six protesters.
At 11 a.m., police updated the total number of arrests from the protests to 29 people. “They caused serious risk to public safety,” Massachusetts State Police Colonel Tim Alben said.
He reported that numerous ambulances were at the scene of the protests as police cut protesters out of restraints.
State police also reported that an ambulance carrying a victim with life-threatening injuries from a car crash in Easton had to be diverted to a smaller hospital in southeastern Massachusetts rather than a level 1 Boston trauma hospital because of the protests at Route 93 in Milton.
