Lawrence Police Chief Ron Olin took close-up photos Wednesday evening of about a dozen members of a protest group that had blocked New Hampshire Street for less than an hour.

The group – about 20 people from the Lawrence area protesting the situation in Oaxaca, Mexico – ended its stance at the corner of Seventh and New Hampshire streets just seconds after Olin’s appearance.

The protesters blocked all lanes of New Hampshire Street south of Seventh Street during 5 o’clock traffic.

They held signs that said “Justice for the People of Oaxaca” and “Governor Ruiz and Troops Out!”

“There’s been an international call to block roads to bring attention to the oppression in Oaxaca,” said Julia Franks, who spoke for the group.

Police officers mostly assessed the situation and never spoke directly with the protesters. Minutes after it started, an officer directed southbound New Hampshire Street traffic to turn onto Seventh Street and avoid the group who shouted for “Justice” and “Now.”

Officers also blocked traffic to the south near Eighth Street.

November 2006: Lawrence Police Chief Ron Olin attempts to photograph a protester, who, along with others, blocked all lanes of New Hampshire Street at the intersection with Seventh Street on Wednesday during 5 o'clock traffic. The protesters handed out fliers raising awareness about oppression in Oaxaca, Mexico.

“We just wanted to avoid a situation where a car came through here and hit one of the protesters. We were trying to make it a safe situation for everybody involved,” said Sgt. Michael Monroe, a police spokesman.

Before the officers directed traffic, a bus headed for The Bottleneck, 737 N.H., stopped inches from the sign holders.

The driver and passengers criticized the protesters for blocking the public road. After a tense exchange, the sign holders moved out of the way to let the bus through but then resumed their position.

“We had a successful action in which we got media attention,” Franks said seconds after the protest ended.

While Olin was taking the photos, several protesters asked, “Why are you taking my picture?”

When the question went unanswered, another was heard saying, “It’s for intimidation.”

Monroe said the protest ended while officers were assessing the situation. He said members of “this particular group” have blocked city streets on a couple of occasions.

“Any time we have a situation like this, we just want to document the people that may be involved,” Monroe said of Olin and other officers taking photos.

Members of the protest group also stood by with video and still cameras.

The protesters handed out fliers to passers-by. The fliers urged Mexican government forces to leave Oaxaca. They also advocated for Gov. Ulises Ruiz to step down and direct negotiation “with the Oaxacan people.”

The group demanded that local media give more attention to the situation in Oaxaca. Mexican federal police recently had opened Oaxaca’s central square after five months of violence there.

Monroe said he did not anticipate any further action from the “peaceful” incident other than officers documenting it.