UCLA Protesters cause brief traffic closures in Westwood

On Wed. afternoon, a group of demonstrators shut down traffic at the corner of Wilshire and Westwood Boulevards in protest of tuition increases and budget cuts for California universities.

The protest was organized by a local branch of the ” title=”local ABC News affiliate”>local ABC News affiliate, the group of about 200, many of whom were students, marched from Bruin Plaza to a nearby bank.

Unconfirmed reports said that the protest began around 1 p.m., and that at one point protesters were lying in the middle of the street.

Michael Weinstein, postdoctoral fellow at UCLA, told The Journal that at around 3:30 p.m. police had just begun clearing caution tape and the three helicopters had left the scene.