LIVE UPDATES: Peaceful Protests In Grant, Union Park; Downtown Road Closures Continue

CHICAGO (CBS)-- City officials expect hundreds if not thousands to gather peacefully this weekend, beginning Saturday. In addition to opening up Grant and Union parks, portions of Lake Shore Drive will also be shut down to deal with the crowds.

Here are the latest developments:

7:05 p.m.

Hundreds of protesters kneeled in front of police at the 14th District police station, some chanting "silent cops are guilty, too."

6:30 p.m.

Illinois State Police announce some roads have reopened. Those include I-90 northbound Milwaukee, I-90 northbound and southbound Fullerton and I-90 southbound Ogden.

6:00 p.m.

A Black Lives Matter unity rally gets underway in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood. The group plans to walk to the police department to lay roses and have a moment of silence. Orgnizers say it is a public show of the Latin American community's solidarity with their black brothers and sisters.

5:45 p.m.

Protesters gather at Clark and Jackson in the Loop.

5:00 p.m.

Jermont Terry reported Chicago police in the Loop were having no issue with protesters moving from Union Park to the Near North Side as they stood guard.

3:36 p.m. 

Major backups slowed down traffic on the Kennedy and Dan Ryan with ramp closures i place between Fullerton and 18th.

1:45 p.m.

CBS 2's Marissa Parra reported CTA buses and city trucks are being used to redirect traffic throughout the city. Mayor Lightfoot said city trucks would be placed strategically around the city.

1:10 p.m.

The March of Justice for George Floyd is taking over Ashland from Grand Avenue to Division Street. According to CBS 2's Jeanette Hudson, the protest is moving east.

12:30 p.m.

A large crowd of protesters are heading north of Ashland from Union Park.

10:30 a.m.

Two protests in Union Park are underway in response to the death of George Floyd. One of the protests is being organized by Refuse Fascism Chicago.

Grant Park and Union Park will be designated spots for demonstrators to gather this weekend, as part of a plan announced by Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

9 a.m. 

Illinois State Police announced road closures in and near downtown as traffic continues to be closed off due to downtown protests.

Lake Shore Drive is closed in both directions from Fullerton to 31st Street.

This is a developing story.

In:
• Protests