Ferguson Protesters Block Interstate 5 In San Diego During Rush Hour


Ferguson protesters in Southern California blocked Interstate 5 freeway in La Jolla, California, during a busy rush hour on Wednesday, stopping traffic for miles and raising tension with angry drivers.

The protesters, angry that police officer Darren Wilson was not indicted in the shooting death of Michael Brown, made their way onto I-5 northbound just before 7 a.m., forming a line that stretched across the freeway. The protest brought traffic to a stop, leading angry drivers to exit their cars and yell at protesters. One driver even brought a bullhorn to confront them.

Traffic backed up for miles, and it was not until San Diego police and California Highway Patrol officers showed up that the gridlock was broken and drivers were pulled away from the protesters. The Ferguson protesters initially refused to leave, but eventually police were able to move them over the the shoulder.

The Ferguson protesters then worked their way down to La Jolla, and by 8:15 a.m. had entered the San Diego campus of the University of Southern California.

There were a number of protests across the country after the Michael Brown verdict. In Ferguson, crowds that gathered even before the grand jury verdict was made announced turned violent, flipping cars and starting fires across the city before police were able to re-gain control.

In Minneapolis, a Ferguson protester was struck by a car during a rally in which protesters blocked an intersection. A driver decided to plow through the protests, striking several people and running over the leg of one woman.

The protests also appeared to claim the life of 20-year-old DeAndre Joshua in Ferguson. Joshua’s body was found inside a parked car near the Canfield Green Apartments, the same complex where Wilson shot Brown in August. It was not confirmed, however, whether his murder was directly related to the unrest in Ferguson.

California saw a number of protests after the Michael Brown verdict was announced. Demonstrators also gathered in Oakland shortly after the verdict announced, and on Tuesday evening there were two Ferguson protests in San Diego.

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