A protest against the lack of indictments in Ferguson and New York City -- as well as the killing of local teen Israel Hernandez by Miami Beach police -- quickly moved from Wynwood to the 195 expressway.
More than a hundred protesters have now shut down traffic in both directions, snarling cars for miles to the east and west as Art Basel week hits its peak.
Update: The protesters have left the highway and have now begun marching toward the heart of Wynwood, organizer Muhammed Malik tells Riptide. The crowd has grown to about 400 people. No arrests have been made, he says.
The rally started at 36th Street and NW First Avenue, where the crowd massed around speakers including the family of Hernandez, who was killed by a MBPD officer with a Taser after getting caught tagging an abandoned building on Miami Beach.
"Every day the police officers decide who lives and who dies," said Offir Hernandez, sister of slain graffiti artist Israel "Reefa" Hernandez.
The crowd responded with chants of "shut it down" and "No justice, no peace!"
Other speakers rallied the crowd around the lack of indictments in the killing of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner in New York.
Mimicking similar protests in St. Louis and New York, the crowd then headed toward the highway.
Miami protestors march on 36th Street past Biscayne Blvd. back towards Wynwood during #ArtBasel pic.twitter.com/zt30vExoJa
— Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) December 5, 2014By lining up across 195, the protesters soon shut down traffic in both directions.
Miami protestors stop traffic for Israel Hernandez & Eric Garner, Mike Brown. MT @aldiazphoto: Protest Miami #handsup pic.twitter.com/7wNmiFMfkQ
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) December 5, 2014The result? Total gridlock as thousands try to get to and from Basel festivities on the Beach, Wynwood and downtown.
Gridlock between Miami and Miami Beach as protestors shutdown highways during #ArtBasel http://t.co/4jDLTk6OKZ pic.twitter.com/6cpECx2k00
— Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) December 5, 2014Some things are more important than #ArtBasel #ShutDownMiami "@TooMuchMe: Protesters have shut down I-195 pic.twitter.com/36dyqVR55z"
— Alfred Spellman (@AlfredSpellman) December 5, 2014Here's a livestream of the protests as they continue:
Senior Staff Writer Michael E. Miller contributed to this report.
Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.
