Law enforcement and commuters were equally baffled this morning by a #BlackLivesMatter demonstration that saw Interstate 93 blocked in Milton and Medford, Mass. Some activists had apparently managed to seal their arms inside 1,200-pound barrels of concrete.
Protestors with arms chained together inside barrel on Rte 83 Milton pic.twitter.com/ORaUqQ7les
— Tim Alben (@TimAlben) January 15, 2015
Protesters linking arms on I-93 in Medford earlier http://t.co/2xU5OBlCUT pic.twitter.com/vvpfWxXnDH
— WBZ | CBS News Boston (@wbz) January 15, 2015
.@NonProfit_Meg @universalhub #BlackLivesMatter shut down in Milton pic.twitter.com/ivZxwWVMvf
— Guerrilla Prophet (@jaykelly26) January 15, 2015
RIGHT NOW: Two lanes of traffic getting by. Protestors still on 93 north near East Milton Square. @NECN pic.twitter.com/wBRnMDaAXm
— Jeff Saperstone (@JeffNBCBoston) January 15, 2015
https://www.instagram.com/p/x4HbxWoESq/
PROTEST: Barrel reads: Caution, moving barrel will cause injury and prevent disengagement. @NECN pic.twitter.com/SpbuhKckFm
— Jeff Saperstone (@JeffNBCBoston) January 15, 2015
Both northbound and southbound traffic was snarled, and at least 23 protesters were arrested, according to WCVB 5, which quoted participant Katie Seitz on the reason for the obstruction:
“Today, our nonviolent direct action is meant to expose the reality that Boston is a city where white commuters and students use the city and leave, while Black and Brown communities are targeted by police, exploited, and displaced.”
A post on the Facebook page for Black Lives Matter Boston further explained the action and went on to list individuals killed by Boston police in the past 15 years.