[KSTP] Police in Minneapolis have removed protesters who locked themselves across a light-rail line near U.S. Bank Stadium, temporarily halting trains carrying fans to the game.Activists protesting police brutality chained themselves along the Green Line carrying ticketholders to the Super Bowl on Sunday, stopping trains in both directions.
In a release Sunday afternoon, organizers said Black Lives Matter, the Movement for Black Lives and other groups shut down light rail at "several critical transit lines in Minneapolis" starting about 2:30 p.m. It was unclear how many lines were affected.
"Activists are using this moment to stand with athletes who have protested throughout the past two football seasons calling attention to the murder of Black people by police and to the City of Minneapolis' banning city residents from using public transit without a Super Bowl ticket," which organizers said primarily affected people of color, according to the release.
About 30 activists walked onto the city's Green Line at the West Bank stop shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday, stopping trains in both directions. By 4:15 p.m., about 17 arrests had been made, according to Metro Transit Police Chief John Harrington. Trains were running as normal by late afternoon.
The line runs from downtown St. Paul to the heart of Minneapolis, and is a main way some fans are getting to the game between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.
Chinyere Tutashinda, a spokeswoman for the activists, says some chained themselves along the track.
Metro Transit front man Howie Padilla said the agency has a plan in place for handling disruptions, and that such a plan was going into motion mid-afternoon Sunday.
"We're more than two hours from the game at this time, and we are confident that all ticketholders will get to the game in time," Padilla said.