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Protest Jams Traffic In Downtown Los Angeles

DOWNTOWN (CBSLA.com) — A protest against police brutality in Downtown LA resulted in jammed traffic at the height of rush hour Tuesday.

The protesters were given a deadline by police to disperse.

The protest, against police abuses against citizens, started in from of the LAPD Central division in downtown and worked its way to Washington and Broadway.

At that intersection, protesters stopped and blocked a Blue Line train. Police declared the protest an unlawful assembly at that point.

The Sheriff's Department said blocking the train led to a deadline issued to protesters.

LAPD was also present on the scene, and about 5:40 p.m., formed a circle around remaining protesters, who, by that time, were sitting in a tight circle on the tracks.

Onlookers appeared to taunt deputies as officers progressively took protesters into custody. The final protester appeared to be arrested at 5:56 p.m. About 15 protesters were arrested in all.

The group of onlookers, taunting deputies at the scene of the protest, remained after the arrests were made.

Waves of commuters, who may have been coming from local train stations, continued to arrive at the intersection but were unable to get through police lines and were instructed to a detour.

Traffic through the intersection was opened shortly after the crowd dispersed, allowing trains and buses to proceed.

"Today was a call nationally... to stop business as usual, to say no more to this system giving a green light to killer cops," protest organizer Amina Gonzales. "We can get in trouble, we can do all that, but it's worth it, because we know that we're part of shaping history in a different direction."

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