Several San Jose politicians criticized police for closing ramps along Highway 101 and Interstate 280 in East San Jose.
They called it racial profiling.
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On Monday, San Jose's assistant police chief said the closures were similar to previous years.
He said the intention was to control out of towners who come into San Jose to celebrate and create gridlock.
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"We're trying to keep the community safe, avoid gridlock traffic, allow businesses to get customers, allow residents to go to and from their homes and allow people to celebrate," said SJ Police Chief Paul Joseph.
Critics say the three-day closures unfairly targeted the Latino community and that other cultural celebrations aren't targeted with similar road closures.