Protesters detained after blocking roadway near capitol Monday
BATON ROUGE – A number of protesters have been ticketed after a demonstration near downtown Monday.
Police say nine people were taken into custody after the individuals affiliated with the Poor People's Campaign, a national human rights group, began demonstrating outside the state capitol. The group has a chapter based out of New Orleans.
Fifty people with the #PoorPeoplesCampaign protested at the State Capitol and in downtown Baton Rouge this afternoon. Organizers say 9 were arrested for obstructing traffic. National group specifically protesting “immoral” budget by #lalege #wbrz #lagov pic.twitter.com/rTVMptt5w0
— Mark Armstrong (@TvMarkArmstrong) May 21, 2018
The group showed up on the steps of the capitol building early Monday. Police were reportedly called after the protesters made their way down N 4th Street. State police say some of the demonstrators began kneeling in the intersection of N 4th Street and North Street and were detained.
Each will be given a misdemeanor summons for obstruction of a public passage.
Members of the same group were removed from inside the capitol last week after they began protesting the Senate's passing of what they called an "immoral" budget.