Dan Ryan Shut Down By Hundreds Of Protesters: Video

CHICAGO, IL — It didn't go off exactly as planned, but anti-violence protesters achieved their goal Saturday morning by forcing a complete shutdown of the northbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway on the South Side. The expressway was completely blocked to traffic between 76th Street and 68th Street as marchers brought their message of peace and the need for more resources in underserved Chicago neighborhoods to a thoroughfare used by thousands of motorists everyday.

Illinois State Police vehicles and Illinois Tollway trucks began lining the middle of the northbound lanes of the Dan Ryan before 10 a.m., when the group of protesters led by Pastor Michael Pfleger of the Faith Community of St. Sabina were scheduled to begin marching from 79th Street. Initially, the line of emergency vehicles effectively split the northbound lanes into two lanes for protesters and the other two for passing traffic, which got by with ease for about an hour after the protest started.

But things got to a standstill after the march progressed (in the two easternmost lanes) past 76th. State Police vehicles were lined up before 75th Street preventing marchers from continuing their protest, when the marchers themselves began chanting "Shut It Down," in hopes of taking up the entire eastern half of the expressway with their march.

Negotiations followed, with Pfleger along with the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Illinois Comptroller Susanna Mendoza among those representing the protesters demands. Discussing with them were several high ranking police officials including Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

About a half-hour of talks followed, with Pfleger eventually informing the marchers via a megaphone that police had indeed agreed to allow the protest to take up the entire northbound section of the Dan Ryan.

"I'm happy to know that eventually the negotiations got to the point where the entire thing was shut down," said Nate Phillips, a resident of Chicago's Far Southeast Side who came to watch the protest from above the 76th Street overpass.

The protest then continued peacefully to its intended destination, with the entire northbound lanes having been shut down for a significant amount of time afterwards.

Phillips was one of dozens of onlookers atop the 76th and 75th Street overpasses, most of whom were cheering on the protesters and hopeful that police would allow them to continue the march, which was organized to address five demands: resources for communities, national common sense gun laws, jobs, excellent schools and economic development.

"I felt like I had to be a part of this demonstration in the name of peace," said Phillips, who compared the historic event to the civil rights demonstrations in the American south during the 1950s and 1960s.

"I feel like today's non-violent demonstration will make a difference in the community and will impact everyone," he said. "It may have inconvenienced some people today, but eventually even those who were inconvenienced will see the good that will come from this."

A woman from the south suburbs had plans to be in the city today, finding out around the time of the protest that her route would need to take a different turn. Still, she supported the cause of the march.

"I think it is great," she said. "Great that this is getting attention not only in Chicago, but everywhere."

But the most important impact is the change it could bring.

"Sometimes change is slow to occur, but eventually it does happen," Phillips said.

Watch the live video of the protest below:

Photo via Facebook Live screenshot