As the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, continued Tuesday night, demonstrators nationwide took to the streets en masse, clogging major thoroughfares.

CNN counted at least 170 U.S. cities where crowds gathered. Most of the activities were peaceful.

Demonstrators in more than 170 U.S. cities stop traffic as they protest #FergusonDecision: http://t.co/61i7yKCytM pic.twitter.com/BYaHxDEVJU — CNN International (@cnni) November 26, 2014

In New York, roughly 3,000 blocked the Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive, a parkway on the east side of Manhattan.

In Los Angeles, police blocked off access to the 110 Freeway near the University of Southern California as hundreds tried to get on the highway. At least one protester was seen hurling a traffic cone at police, though others reportedly threw bottles.

Some #Ferguson protesters are throwing traffic cones & bottles at #LAPD officers guarding police headquarters. https://t.co/Jaq3XUvlC5 — Elex Michaelson (@ABC7Elex) November 26, 2014

And in Oakland, protesters ground traffic to a halt on Interstate 580.

In St. Louis, protesters disrupted downtown traffic for several hours by blocking major intersections, an interstate highway and a Mississippi River bridge connecting the city to Illinois.

People also choked streets in Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, Nashville, Philadelphia, Portland and elsewhere.

In New York City, the protests began in Union Square in Manhattan, where several hundred people gathered chanting "The whole damn system is guilty as hell," and "There is no Thanksgiving. We don't have shit to be thankful for." They continued toward Times Square, gathering momentum as they marched.

Michael Brown protesters blocking traffic as they march up Broadway- chanting, "Hands up, don't shoot!" pic.twitter.com/Ah7ilNBsOh — Michael George (@mgeorge4NY) November 25, 2014

Police attempted to disperse the protesters from major roadways in Times Square once they arrived by arresting multiple people. Throughout the night, marches diverged, with demonstrations spotted in the West Village and Chelsea in addition to Times Square. Protesters eventually made their way to the Williamsburg Bridge where they clashed with police.

Police & protesters clashing at Wburg bridge. Cops shoving barricades, punching at protesters, who scream "fuck you" pic.twitter.com/WaMcs3xVjz — Christopher Robbins (@ChristRobbins) November 26, 2014

Protestors now on the FDR Drive at the Williamsburg bridge. FDR ia shutdown. #NYC #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/4uXsTRMmQc — New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) November 26, 2014

Protesters then took over the Manhattan Bridge, shutting it down briefly before police dispersed the crowd.

Manhattan Bridge: shut down pic.twitter.com/LU99LOgUcc — Christopher Robbins (@ChristRobbins) November 26, 2014

Protesters in NYC stretched all the way to Harlem by 9 p.m.

In Cleveland, several hundred people marched down a freeway ramp to block rush-hour traffic while protesting the Missouri developments and Saturday's fatal shooting by an officer of 12-year-old Tamir Rice of Cleveland, who had a pellet gun that looked like a real firearm.

"The system wasn't made to protect us," said one of the protesters, 17-year-old Naesha Pierce. "To get justice, the people themselves have to be justice."

Where is the press? HUGE peaceful protest in Roxbury (Boston) in solidarity with #Ferguson. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/6prBgAKiks — Lara Hoke लर होक Ⓥ (@RevLara) November 26, 2014

A Minneapolis rally took a dramatic turn when a driver hit several protesters—including a woman whose legs were caught under one of the car's front wheels as bystanders yelled for the driver to stop.

New photo from @lavinskystrib: Car plows through protesters during Ferguson rally in Mpls. http://t.co/AAv85og8vs pic.twitter.com/841BH3aFHF — Star Tribune (@StarTribune) November 25, 2014

Although the driver initially fled the scene, he later stopped and cooperated with police.

Protesters in Denver, Colorado were pepper-sprayed by police a day after many of them laid down in the middle of the street for 4.5 minutes to represent the 4.5 hours that Brown's body remained on the ground.

#Denver Police: Pepper spray used to quell small protest group on Colfax near I-25; 3 arrested http://t.co/50EhfPfbxU pic.twitter.com/YiIfw4LZ28 — 7NEWS Denver Channel (@DenverChannel) November 26, 2014

Ppl laying in the street of 4.5 min representing 4.5 hrs Mike Brown laid dead in the street. #denver #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/oqeboinSwx — Kallisti (@Kallisti) November 25, 2014

Police and protesters in Nashville, Tennessee had a much more friendly interaction. As protesters marched through the streets, police officers reportedly blocked off streets and brought them coffee and hot chocolate.

NOW on News 2: Nashville vigil for #Ferguson transforms into protest, march thru city. WATCH: http://t.co/DyOuWo31sV pic.twitter.com/vrVtZUFBVh — WKRN (@WKRN) November 26, 2014

Police in #Nashville brought #Ferguson protesters hot chocolate. That's how you defuse a situation. — Thomas Dodson (@shockthomas) November 26, 2014

Hundreds of protesters also gathered in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, where they closed off the entrance to Interstate 83.

Baltimore police say there have been no arrests made during tonight's #Ferguson protest that's been going since 4pm. pic.twitter.com/EwDiPLtwUQ — Cam Thompson WNEW (@CamThompsonWNEW) November 26, 2014

Additional reporting by The Associated Press, Colin Daileda and Brittany Levine