Dozens arrested after protest blocks Interstate 676, police say

Officials said about 350 members of the “Party for Socialism and Liberation” had rushed onto the highway on Saturday, disrupting traffic.

Associated Press

March 31, 2024

Dozens of arrests were made after a large demonstration partially shut down Interstate 676 westbound in Center City on Saturday. (Peter Crimmins/WHYY)

Dozens of people were arrested during a protest that briefly blocked traffic on a Philadelphia interstate over the weekend, authorities said.

Philadelphia officers were called shortly before 4 p.m. Saturday to the westbound lanes of I-676 where officials said about 350 members of the “Party for Socialism and Liberation” had rushed onto the highway, disrupting traffic, city police said.

Police said at some point about 320 protesters left and began to march through Center City, but some people chose to remain on the highway. State police said traffic was temporarily detoured in both eastbound and westbound directions.

State police reported arresting 67 people and said they were taken to the police barracks where they were processed and released with summons to appear on disorderly conduct charges. City police reported arresting and citing at least two people.

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The protest group put out a call for support, saying on social media that “peaceful protesters” were “brutally arrested .. for marching for Palestinian liberation.”

“No amount of police repression will shake our solidarity with the Palestinian people!” the group wrote.

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