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Protesters shut down transit lines to Super Bowl

People without a Super Bowl ticket were banned from public transit.

CREDIT: Unicorn Riot
CREDIT: Unicorn Riot

Protesters identifying with Black Lives Matter have blocked a number of transit lines in Minneapolis in the hours before Super Bowl 52. The protesters explained their rationale in a statement:

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.

About 100 protesters shut down West Bank station.

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As game time approached, policed moved in with plans to disperse the protesters.

Some protesters physically locked themselves near the tracks.

The NFL has been a political lightning rod this year, with some athletes kneeling in protest of police brutality and Trump attacking the players — and the league for failing to silence them.

UPDATE: At around 5:30, an hour before kickoff, police were able to clear at least one station of protesters.

At least 17 people were arrested.

This is a breaking news post and will be updated.