Activists promise protests over EFM in Detroit - KMSP-TV

If an Emergency Financial Manager is appointed, we're told we can expect to see more protests such as the one that shut down parts of I-94 in the city of Detroit on Monday. But that's something the Michigan State Police says will not be tolerated.

Political activist Sam Riddle said on Tuesday, "the governor has unilaterally moved to shut down and take away the black vote. This is going to become a national and international issue. It's not a game for us. The right to vote means a lot."

Riddle and Reverend Charles Williams with the National Action Network said more traffic tie-ups are planned in the coming days. The Lodge Freeway at I-94 was at a crawl during the morning rush hour on Monday. Protesters, angry about a possible Emergency Manager moving in tried to slow things down on the freeway. Riddle and Rev. Williams say the didn't organize the traffic tie-up, but they expect more of them.

"What you're going to see in the next few days, what you're going to see in the coming weeks a lot of organic demonstrations, just like this. No one organization, no one person, but people who are feeling like they are being stepped on by the state of Michigan and governor Snyder" Williams said.

A sea of brake lights on Monday met with a sea of blue state police vehicles as officers arrived quickly to write tickets for impeding traffic. So far three highway protests in the last week have meant 15 tickets written for blocking the roads.

Michigan State Police Lieutenant Mike Shaw said, "There's nothing that can be done by blocking off the freeway. You're not making any statement all you're doing is affecting  people's lives. People can't go to work, people end up running late, you're just not making a good statement. And then we're also concerned with the fact that you could also end up killing somebody."

But Rev. Williams said,"We demonstrate, we protest, but escalation is the only thing left at this point." Lt. Shaw added we respect the constitution, we respect free speech, the right to protest as long as its peaceful and is done where it does not hurt the public.