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Brandt Williams

Protesters disrupt morning commute in Minneapolis

Protesters disrupt traffic
Protesters brought traffic heading into downtown Minneapolis to a halt Thursday morning.
Courtesy of Minnesota Department of Transportation

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Updated 11:55 a.m. | Posted 9:07 a.m.

Demonstrators supporting janitors pushing for higher pay brought traffic heading into downtown Minneapolis to a standstill Thursday morning.

Protesters shut down at least one intersection near the convention center where traffic funnels in from Interstate 94 and Interstate 35W. That backed up all lanes of westbound I-94 and northbound lanes of I-35W for miles.

At one point, the State Patrol closed down I-35W at 26th Street into downtown and diverted traffic before the roads were reopened.

While the protests ended Thursday morning, the call for better wages and working conditions will continue, said Andy Holmaas with Minnesotans for a Fair Economy.

Many of the demonstrators voiced solidarity for union janitors who staged a 24-hour strike Wednesday. They also called for an increase in the minimum wage.

"We know that Minnesota houses so many of the wealthiest corporations, but there's also these extreme racial and economic inequalities in our state, so people were calling for corporations to start addressing them," Holmaas added.

An attorney representing companies in contract negotiations with striking janitors has said union workers already make well above the average wage in the Twin Cities.