Black Lives Matter protest marches through NE Portland

They also chanted that their message was more important than looking for holiday shopping deals, saying “Black lives matter – not Black Friday”.

Police officers guarding the Christmas tree would make flippant remarks that their batons were “dancing sticks” and parents would bemoan not being able to enter the mall -(despite news and press conferences announcing the large protest for the past two days). Police said Jones pulled a replica handgun from his backpack and pointed it at officers, who shot him in the upper body.

Black Lives Matter demonstrations have recently swept through the country in the wake of the shootings in Chicago and Minneapolis.

Tensions rose further on Monday when five protesters were shot and wounded near the police station.

Police arrested another man in the house and recovered guns. In Chicago, where a white police officer was charged this week with murder for allegedly shooting a black teenager, Laquan McDonald, 16 times, an estimated crowd of 2,000 blocked access to stores in the city’s ritzy “Magnificent Mile” shopping district. There have been isolated clashes between police and protesters, with about 10 arrests and only a few minor reports of property damage.

No one was hurt during the two hour protest.

Members of the movement, which is now in its third year, say their aim is to end the killing of African-Americans by police.

Black Lives Protesters held rallies and marches across the nation today, disrupting Black Friday sales to bring attention to black Americans who have been shot and killed by police officers.

KGW reports that demonstrators gathered in a Northeast Portland park about 1 p.m. and listened as people passed around a bullhorn.