A group of protesters said they’re going to shut down Interstate 490 this Sunday.
The shutdown is scheduled to occur at 2:00 pm in Rochester, New York, the Facebook event states.
According to the Facebook event, the group is protesting because “Rochester police refused to have a simple conversation with us about releasing inmates with nonviolent misdemeanors, so we are going to SHUT IT DOWN. Other cities have done this and it has really been an impactful way to protest and bring awareness to Black Lives Matter issues…We won’t stop until more money is spent on Black neighborhoods instead of police weaponry, equipment, and unused vehicles!!!.”
The group is scheduled to meet up at the MLK park. They say they will be making an “undisclosed” route to the highway.
The group’s Facebook page says that medics will be on hand, and they will be handing out water and electrolytes.
“We will have a team of highly dedicated and extremely organized protesters leading this march and our primary goal is safety,” the group states.
Republican lawmakers in the state have called on law enforcement to come up with a plan ahead of the protest to keep protesters and motorists safe.
“It’s always better to be proactive than reactionary. We want to ensure there’s a plan in place and that there is mutual safety for all involved,” said Karla Boyce, county legislator and chairwoman of the Monroe County Public Safety Committee.
