Protesters shut down Los Angeles freeway over George Floyd's death

Protesters block the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. — (Image credit: KABC-TV via AP)

Hundreds of demonstrators in downtown Los Angeles protesting against the death of George Floyd temporarily blocked both sides of the 101 Freeway on Wednesday evening.

The protesters started near City Hall and marched through downtown, with several dozen then walking onto the freeway. ABC Los Angeles reports that one person used a skateboard to smash the back window of a California Highway Patrol car, and another was injured when he got onto the hood and then fell off, hitting his head.

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed on Monday night after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes. The incident was recorded, and Floyd is heard on the video saying, "I can't breathe." The officer, Derek Chauvin, and three others who were on the scene were fired on Tuesday. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Wednesday said criminal charges need to be filed against Chauvin.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.