Alton Sterling protesters shut down I-676 ramp, dozen arrested

What began with a few dozen people marching through Philly streets grew to hundreds yesterday, protesting the deadly police shooting of Alton Sterling in Louisiana.

Around 6 p.m. Wednesday, a few dozen protesters whoorganized on Facebookgathered at 12th and Market streets, but the group grew as they moved through Center City, blocking traffic along the way, 6ABC reported.

The group, nearly 200 people, stopped on the Vine Street ramp at Callowhill Street, where many sat down and were chanting “No peace, no justice.”

#ShutDownDNC #AltonSterling protest in PHL @realjusticephl @wwpnatl Vine St ramps tp I476 shut down

A photo posted by @jpiette660 on Jul 6, 2016 at 4:15pm PDT

76 Highway Ramp Shut down.
Posted by Gabriel Bryant on Wednesday, July 6, 2016

There, around 8 p.m., Philadelphia police officers arrested 12 protesters and took them into custody at the 9th Precinct on North 21st Street. Sources say all 12 have since been released.

Posted by Joe Piette on Wednesday, July 6, 2016

#ShutDownDNC #AltonSterling protest in PHL @realjusticephl @wwpnatl 4 arrests

A photo posted by @jpiette660 on Jul 6, 2016 at 4:53pm PDT

On July 5, Baton Rouge police officers had responded to an anonymous call that there was a man in the area carrying a gun. Sterling, 37, was outside the convience store at which he worked.

A spokesman for the Baton Rouge Police said once officers arrived, they were involved in an argument with Sterling.

The shop owner, Abdul Muflahi, told local TV that the first officer to arrive on the scene had used a stun gun on Sterling. The second officer tackled the man, and as Sterling fought to get him off, the first officer shot him “four to six times.”

Unverified cellphone footage of the shooting has since been released.

Sterling’s death has sparked protests in Baton Rouge and across the country against police brutality. According to NBC News, Sterling’s family and the local NAACP branch have urged an independent, outside review of the Baton Rouge Police Department.