Black Lives Matter Protesters Shut Down Busy 405 Freeway

Updated at 3:15 p.m. Photo courtesy of SandyS and UStream/BLMLA

Nine Black Lives Matter protesters were detained in a protest that briefly shut down the southbound San Diego Freeway on Wednesday near Century Boulevard in the Westchester area, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The CHP received a call at around 1:27 p.m. about protesters spray-painting on the freeway and chanting ”Black Lives Matter” near LAX, CHP officer Ramberto Salcedo said.

The protesters spray-painted the names of black people who were killed by police. Some were seen sitting in traffic lanes.

“The freeway was shut down so our helicopters can take some photos,” he said.

The highway was opened 20 minutes later, at around 1:45 p.m., he said.

The protesters are part of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles’ BlackXMas campaign.

“We are dreaming of a BlackXmas,” Black Lives Matter organizer Christina Griffin said in a video posted to YouTube. “One where we withhold our money from corporations who are complicit in the state sanctioned murder of black people.”

She listed the names of several black people who were killed by police, including Ezell Ford, whose shooting death sparked months of protest in the city.

The group posted several live-stream videos of the protest on Twitter with the hashtag #BlackXMas

Nine protesters -- four women, three men and two boys -- were arrested and will be booked on suspicion of felony vandalism and conspiracy, CHP Sgt. Paul Peterson said. No injuries were reported. The juveniles were expected to be booked and released to their parents, he said.

The freeway is back to its usual stop-and-go afternoon traffic, Salcedo said.

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Updated at 2:10 p.m.

The freeway has since reopened after being briefly shut down by protestors.

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A number of protesters are disrupting traffic on the southbound San Diego (405) Freeway near Century Boulevard in the Westchester area.

Unconfirmed reports indicate the demonstration is a Black Lives Matter protest.

Southbound lanes of the freeway have been shut down.

This is breaking news. Stay with Patch for more information as it becomes available.