Ten protesters were arrested for blocking Interstate 95 in Richmond this morning in an effort to bring attention to efforts to free Palestine.
There were no injuries to any of the protesters or law enforcement officers involved in the incident.
Those arrested have been charged with stopping the vehicle of another, obstructing free passage of others, unlawful assembly and being a pedestrian on the interstate.
Arrested in the incident were:
- Zayneabideen Rasul Al-Murshidi, 23, Roanoke
- Max Hudson Gray Holland, 24, Henrico
- Charles D. Caines, 23, Round Hill
- Kemp Walker Barber, 25, Richmond
- Connor Joris McCarty, 21, Norfolk
- Naomi Destiny Isaac, 25, Richmond
- Sarah Elizabeth Milkowski Dahlgren, Henrico
- Kemp Walker Barber, 25, Richmond
- Kenrick Keith Cameron Jr., 25, Richmond
- Jasmine Juliet Cuellar, 30, Richmond
According to Virginia State Police, just before 7 a.m., calls started coming in reporting that people were blocking traffic lanes near exit 78 for Arthur Ashe Boulevard.
Arriving on scene, police encountered individuals with black “Stop Genocide” t-shirts lying in the southbound lanes who had linked themselves together using two ladders, a large metal chain and sleeping dragon devices.
At 7:09 a.m., state police declared an unlawful assembly.
For safety reasons and to expedite the opening of interstate lanes, police said the protesters were guided to the right southbound shoulder of the interstate.
At approximately 7:20 a.m., two southbound lanes of I-95 were reopened to through traffic.
Three of the protesters voluntarily gave up and were taken into custody.
Additional troopers arrived on scene to safely extricate the remaining protesters from the sleeping dragon devices which turned out to be large PVC piping wrapped in chicken wire and connected with a large metal chain.
The additional protesters were taken into custody without further incident.
By approximately 10:30 a.m., the scene was cleared, and the final southbound lane reopened to through traffic.
State police were assisted at the scene by City of Richmond Police, City of Richmond Fire and the Virginia Department of Transportation for scene safety, traffic control and traffic advisories.
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Crystal Graham
