Ferguson Protestors in Nashville Gets National Attention

Several hundred people took to the streets of Nashville Tuesday night, one day after a grand jury decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown.

Interstate 24 was shut down near LP Field two different times as a large group of protesters converged on east Nashville.

What initially began as a vigil gathering, soon turned into a demonstration with protesters forcing the closure of the James Robertson Bridge and I-24 near LP Field.

Earlier in the evening, around 500 people began gathering at the Criminal Justice Center for a vigil that was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. From there, the demonstration turned into a protest and a march ensued throughout Nashville.

One participant told NewsChannel 5 reporter Chris Cannon a march was never part of the original plan.

“The intention was to do a candle light vigil, but the organizers and myself, we realized there could definitely be a chance that people wanted to move and express their feelings with their feet, so we did have this in mind and we just responded to the crowd and see where they were at and we followed their lead,” said Teresa Pecinosky.

At one point, Broadway was also shut down at 5th Avenue, not far from Bridgestone Arena where the Nashville Predators hosted the L.A. Kings.

Soon protesters began making their way across the Cumberland River,  heading towards I-24, where they eventually forced the interstate to shut down.

Traffic on Interstate 24 began moving as protesters moved of the roadway and started marching towards the James A. Cayce Homes, which one protester referred to as being, "representative of depression and criminality against these people."

The group eventually split up into smaller units as they continued towards East Nashville. Many could be heard chanting, "out of your house, into the streets," as they continued marching.

Some eventually made their way back to I-24 where demonstrators could be seen lying down on both sides of the intestate between Shelby Avenue and James Robertson Parkway, representing the four and a half hours Michael Brown lay in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri back in August.

Although the interstate has reopened, traffic was backed up for a good deal of time.

Protesters then made their way onto Interstate Drive where they once again laid in the street, stopping traffic.

After that, the group started back across the Cumberland River to the CJC where they gathered for a brief time before dispersing at 10:55 p.m.

Metro Police were with the protesters for the nearly four hour protest, blocking roads and clearing traffic every step of the way.

There were no arrests, no property damage, and no injuries during the protest.

Several of the people with Brown Justice Chasers, the group who organized this event, actually spent time in Ferguson in the days the followed the shooting back in August.

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Source and photos: WTVF