George Washington Bridge Shut Down by Immigrants' Rights Protest

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A group of protesters chained themselves to the upper level of the George Washington Bridge, bringing traffic from New Jersey into New York to a standstill Wednesday morning.

Ten protesters — seven men and three women — have been arrested for blocking New York-bound traffic on the bridge during the morning rush hour, Port Authority officials told Patch. Around 8:15 the protesters stood across the bridge, officials said, and unfurled a banner which read "resist, organized, rise up!"

Port Authority police cleared the scene within 15 minutes, opening up two of the bridge's stalled lanes, officials said. The bridge's four lanes were opened by 8:50 a.m., but traffic was delayed by as much as 90 minutes in the morning, officials said.

At one point, it appeared that frustrated drivers got into a physical altercation with some of the protesters as police responded to the scene. Nobody was injured during the protest, officials told Patch.

The protesters were raising awareness for equal rights for immigrants, according to a reporter on scene.

Photo: Courtesy of Twitter user Occupy Theory