Almost all of those involved in the blocking of Interstate 95 months ago as part of a protest of the war in Gaza were sentenced to five days in jail earlier this week.

Eight of the nine protesters, referred to as the “I-9” by supporters, were sentenced on Monday for misdemeanor charges of stopping another vehicle, impeding travel and traffic. Additional charges of unlawful assembly, obstructing free passage and using prohibited vehicles on interstate lanes were either dismissed, dropped or protesters were found not guilty.

The sentencing was released days after the nine protesters appeared for a hearing at the John Marshall General District Court last Friday.

The eight that were sentenced also will have to pay a $300 fine by December. One protester was sentenced to one day in jail, with court records showing guilty charges for obstructing free passage and stopping traffic.

The blockade, which began around 7 a.m. March 11, ended hours later around 10:30 a.m. when Virginia State Police arrived in response to calls from drivers, arresting the protesters who had bound and chained themselves together as  part of the protest.

“I don’t feel as though this was a wasted effort,” protester and Virginia Commonwealth University student Jasmine Cuellar said in a prepared statement. 

“This feels validated by the fact that even the prosecution openly stated during court that the atrocities in Gaza are a very real concern and there’s no denying it.”

The sentencing was the latest development in the legal responses to protests against the war in Gaza that have been seen recently in Richmond. Another hearing, focused on anti-war protesters who set up an encampment on VCU’s Monroe Park campus, is set for Friday.