ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – A peaceful Black Lives Matter protest shut down part of Interstate-490 Sunday afternoon, in a rally against police brutality and inequalities for communities of color.
Protesters from across the Rochester area gathered at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park for the event, hosted by the SAVE ROCHESTER- Black Lives Matter group.
The protest marched down East Broadway Street, heading toward Interstate 490, as they planned to close down the road, rallying to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
“We’re not here because we’re violent, we’re not here because we’re trying to cause trouble. We’re here for a cause and a movement we’re here for change and our ancestors marched and they boycotted and that’s what we need to do,” Shalonda Jones, a protester said.
Protest leaders say they hired security after receiving threats leading up to the event. Along the route Sunday, counter-protesters clashed with the BLM group, at times the hired security had to step in.
“The main goal was to shut down I-490 and let those racists who were sending all of those negative Facebook threats to us, let them know that they don’t put fear in our hearts,” said Mikey Johnson, organizer, Save Rochester.
Police blocked off streets as the protesters marched, and had the intended section of interstate 490 blocked to traffic.
After stopping under an overpass for speakers and crossing the Douglass-Anthony bridge, the protesters ran into a line of state troopers blocking the interstate, something leaders called surreal.
“The police presence did not disrupt or goal at all. We did get a lot of calls telling us to hurry up and move on and then when we got to a certain point at 490 we were not permitted to go on so were questioning what that was all about,” said Mikey Johnson, organizer, Save Rochester.
As well as fighting against police brutality, the group hopes to talk with Rochester police about releasing inmates with nonviolent misdemeanors, and they want to see money re-invested from police departments to communities of color.
One of the organizers of the protest said many in the group are using this protest as an opportunity to ask the city of Rochester to invest more money on black neighborhoods.
“I’m here for my kids…Just like John Lewis said our kids are our letters to the future and that’s what I’m here for my future,” said Theresa, who spoke about education at the rally.
“I want our community to come together, and it’s time for that to happen,” said Johnson.