Ferguson Protesters Attempt to Shut Down Highway

Protesters in Ferguson, Mo., attempting to shut down a local highway on Wednesday were reportedly blocked by a phalanx of police officers, in a confrontation that risked turning violent.

The demonstration was planned as an effort to get Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to appoint a special prosecutor in the case against Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who shot dead unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown last month.

Local reports indicate that protesters were planning to shut down a part of Interstate 70, but were stymied by the large police presence. News station KMOV reports the Missouri Highway Patrol warned protesters, “Attempting to block an interstate highway is unsafe and unacceptable.” Live streams of the protest showed several demonstrators being arrested.

The protest comes just one day after the Ferguson city council held its first meeting since Brown’s shooting. According to CNN, the meeting was met with protests and calls for justice for the dead teenager. One of the agenda items was reportedly to consider creating a citizen-review board that would work directly with local police.