MIAMI (WSVN) - Police have reopened Interstate 95 in Miami and the Julia Tuttle Causeway hours after a peaceful march in the area led them to shut down the roadways.
City of Miami Police confirmed the closure near Northwest 20th Street, between State Roads 836 and 112, in a tweet posted Sunday night.
Due to protests in the area, I-95 has been shut down in both directions between 836 and 112 expressways. Avoid I-95 in this area and seek an alternate route. pic.twitter.com/ePwvGfSXVG
— Miami PD (@MiamiPD) June 8, 2020
Minutes later, Miami Beach Police tweeted that they’d shut down the Julia Tuttle Causeway in both directions. It reopened to traffic about an hour later.
The announcements came hours after hundreds of protesters gathered in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood and marched in the area.
Demonstrators said they came together to call for justice in the death of George Floyd and equality for black Americans.
“We built this country, for free, and y’all mistreat us?” said a protester.
“We will no longer be silent to the injustice of our community,” said another protester.
The group initially headed northbound on Northeast Second Avenue, then southbound on North Miami Avenue before going west along 20th Street.
From there, demonstrators got onto the highway and came face-to-face with police officers wearing helmets and shields.
“Turn in that badge if you want us to like you!” a protester screamed at the officers.
The large crowd walked several blocks northbound along the highway.
“We made the law enforcement of Dade County stand down to the citizens,” said a protester.
Police eventually directed the marchers off the highway. They returned to the location in Wynwood where they initially met, near Northwest Second Avenue and 24th Street.
Some of the demonstrators said they will continue to march until they see real change.
“What we did today was powerful, and we’re going to continue to do it, and we will continue to support the national uprisings that are happening all across the country,” said a protester.
Police said they did not make any arrests.
A countywide curfew from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. remains in effect for Miami-Dade.
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