Portland Police now say they arrested 20 after a protest Wednesday afternoon at Commercial and Pearl streets.
Officers say protesters were blocking Commercial Street, including using traffic cones, before many of them began sitting in the road.
The group Maine Coalition for Palestine staged the demonstration as what it called a “die-in” over ongoing violence in Gaza. The group gathered in front of the U.S. Custom House, where Palestinian flags were seen along with signs reading “Gaza is dying.”
Police say they warned protesters for almost a half-hour before making arrests after the rally ended at 3:45 pm.
They say a warning was given at 4:15 p.m. over a loudspeaker that they needed to move or face arrest for blocking a public way and gave another warning about 15 minutes later.
Officers say they began taking people into custody at 4:40 pm, charging them with “obstructing a public way. ”
Those people were taken to the Cumberland County Jail.
Those arrested came from all over Maine and ranged in age from 22 to 87.
They included:
Abigail Fuller, 65, of Portland
Jamila Lavasseur, 70, of Waldo
Chandler Clothier, 26 of Lewiston
Erika Arthur, 44, of North Yarmouth
Claire Muscat, 30, Cape Elizabeth
Joan Schwartz, 66, of New Castle
Meredith Maceachern, 32, of Brunswick
Cynthia Howard, 78, of Biddeford Pool
Raphael Wuesthoff, 87, Portland
Judith Haas, 44 of Richmond
John Devlin, 73, of Cape Elizabeth
Gail Dawson Gray, 84, of Portland
