No arrests made after protest shuts down Durham Freeway during rush hour
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- For nearly three hours Thursday, protesters blocked traffic on one of the busiest roads in Durham.
It began around 5 p.m. with protesters decked out in anti-war paraphernalia blocking northbound NC-147 at the Mangum Street overpass. The protesters were calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
The protesters came from an organized event at CCB Plaza about half a mile away. Durham Police Department said officers immediately began working on a response plan when the protesters left CCB Plaza.
Chief Patrice Andrews said her top priority for the entire incident was safety -- the safety of officers, motorists and protesters.
"The actions of this group were disruptive to our entire community, rush hour commuters, and public safety operations. However, the presence of hundreds of protesters and stranded motorists requires a careful and well-coordinated response to ensure the safety of the public. I am confident our actions prevented unnecessary harm and supported a just and appropriate outcome," she said in a statement released Friday.
About an hour into the protest, officers were able to get protesters to clear one lane of NC-147. That allowed drivers stuck on the road without a way to detour to safely pass while other officers diverted new oncoming traffic off the highway altogether. Once those initial vehicles were allowed to pass, the protesters resumed blocking the entire highway.
At around 7:30 p.m., officers reportedly warned the protesters that they had 15 minutes to leave the highway. Just before 8 p.m., the protesters complied, ending their traffic stoppage nearly three hours after it began.
"The demonstration yesterday was planned in just a few days," said Noah Rubin Blose, an organizer for Jewish Voice for Peace. "We were prepared to risk arrests in order to call for a ceasefire. I'm glad I didn't have to go to jail."
Many drivers and bystanders questioned why it took the Durham Police Department so long to get the protesters off the highway. The response from city and law enforcement officials has been to cite safety concerns.
"I know a lot of folks wanted us to immediately go in and arrest folks and gather people up and sometimes that can make a situation worse," said Mark Anthony Middleton, Durham Mayor Pro Tempore. "You don't want to take a peaceful situation, although illegal, and turn it into something that becomes unmanageable or folks can start to get hurt," he continued.
"Some in the community have expressed frustration with the time it took to reopen the highway. While I understand this concern, I stand firmly behind our response to this complex and volatile situation. Our first priority was to reroute the affected traffic and manage commuters still traveling to Durham on the Durham Freeway. As this was happening, staff began mobilizing a plan to reopen the highway. We were prepared to arrest any individuals that did not comply with our lawful orders. We did not and will not prioritize haste over safety, and will always avoid taking haphazard or reckless action that would have placed officers, motorists, bystanders, and protestors in danger," Andrews said.
As of Friday afternoon, there are no reports of any of the demonstrators being arrested in connection to the protest.
"Because we didn't make arrests this last time doesn't mean arrests won't be made in the future. Anyone that engages in that activity should factor in what it means to engage in civil disobedience is civil penalties and civil consequences," said Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton.
Chief Patrice Andrews' full statement:
"On November 2, 2023, at approximately 5:00 pm, Hwy 147 at Mangum Street was blocked by a group assembled to protest the ongoing events in Gaza. As soon as the protesters left CCB Plaza, law enforcement enacted a methodical and coordinated response plan to ensure the safety of motorists, officers, and protesters, and to end the illegal closure of the highway. The actions of this group were disruptive to our entire community, rush-hour commuters, and public safety operations. However, the presence of hundreds of protesters and stranded motorists requires a careful and well-coordinated response to ensure the safety of the public. I am confident our actions prevented unnecessary harm and supported a just and appropriate outcome. My officers always strive to handle these events with the utmost of professionalism. Our goal is to resolve each event as quickly as possible without incident. We achieved that outcome last night.
Some in the community have expressed frustration with the time it took to reopen the highway. While I understand this concern, I stand firmly behind our response to this complex and volatile situation. Our first priority was to reroute the affected traffic and manage commuters still traveling to Durham on the Durham Freeway. As this was happening, staff began mobilizing a plan to reopen the highway. We were prepared to arrest any individuals that did not comply with our lawful orders. We did not and will not prioritize haste over safety, and will always avoid taking haphazard or reckless action that would have placed officers, motorists, bystanders, and protestors in danger.
I, like my entire team, am disappointed in the actions this group chose to take to bring attention to their cause. However, I am extremely proud of the way my officers and officers from other jurisdictions came together to bring this situation to a peaceful end."
Speaker Tim Moore's statement on the protest:
"I unequivocally condemn the pro-Hamas protests that obstructed traffic during the peak of the rush hour commute for many in the Triangle yesterday. Let me clear-- those calling for a "ceasefire" are sympathizing with Hamas when we should all be standing firmly with Israel for the duration of their response to the unprovoked attack by Hamas on October 7th. Rather than exercise law and order, the City of Durham and the Cooper administration allowed protesters to take over a state highway for hours and block citizens from traveling to their destinations. We cannot condone lawlessness that impedes the daily lives of our citizens."
"Unfortunately, the leaders' comments is a nonsensical political cheap trick to score points," said Middleton. "Police officers exercise discretion all the time. That's not to say police won't review tapes and there won't be arrests in the future. Often times investigations are ongoing. In that moment, police were focused on the preservation of life, property to avoid personal injury and they did a fabulous job."
