UPDATE 4 p.m. July 24 ————————————————————————–
Organizers have abruptly scrapped plans for a major interstate demonstration that was to have taken place in Rochester, New York, this afternoon.
The group “SAVE ROCHESTER- Black Lives Matter” had been planning to shut down I-490 in Rochester on Friday afternoon at 5 p.m.
However, on Friday afternoon, the group said that the event was cancelled but that another shut down would take place “very soon.”
The group says that they will not announce the time or location of the next protest event.
Save Rochester: We will not be announcing location of next shut down. It will happen very, very soon. pic.twitter.com/JC4SGRjXGO
— Christian Garzone (@ccjgarzone) July 24, 2020
ORIGINAL ARTICLE——————————————————————————–
Protesters are planning a major demonstration meant to disrupt rush hour traffic on I-490 in New York later this week.
Organizers with the group “Save Rochester — Black Lives Matter” say that the protest will take place at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 24, in Rochester, New York.
The group is planning to shut down a portion of I-490 for eight minutes and 46 seconds to demand justice in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
The Facebook event describing the interstate protest reads:
Enjoy your ride home on FRIDAY July 24th. It just might be 8 min and 46 seconds longer, because that’s how long we are shutting down the freeway—during rush hour at that!
We will be shutting down multiple checkpoints on I-490.
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. It’s’ the new normal. It’s time for a change!
The group took part in a similar protest on I-490 in Rochester on the afternoon of Sunday, July 19.
During the event, several hundred people marched and shut down both directions of I-490. They also occupied the Frederick Douglass Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge for about 15 minutes before they were penned on the bridge by police.
Counter-protesters were also on scene. While there were a few scuffles, no major injuries or arrests were reported.