Hundreds march out of Mall of America, demand justice

A similar demonstration at the Mall of America last December drew hundreds of demonstrators angry over the absence of charges following the police killings of unarmed black men in New York City and Ferguson, Missouri.

“We accomplished exactly what we came here to accomplish – we wanted to shut down the highway, shut down the airport and show solidarity with other Black Lives Matter groups”, protest organizer Michelle Barnes told the Star Tribune.

Protesters boarded trains to the Minneapolis airport and blocked traffic by linking hands.

Shops began locking up shortly before Wednesday’s afternoon protest was set to begin and security guards searched the bags of people entering the mall, according to images posted on social media. She was one of many who then traveled to the airport to continue to protest calling the ruse “effective”.

The demonstrators in Minnesota temporarily closed the worldwide airport and interrupted Christmas shopping at the Mall of America.

A handful of stores have closed ahead of an expected protest organized by Black Lives Matter that activists say could bring hundreds of protesters to the Mall of America on the day before Christmas Eve. Paul International Airport – which resulted in the 45-minute closure of several terminal checkpoints; a freeway leading to the San Francisco International Airport, and other strategic points in each city.

He says about 100 officers from various agencies responded and that no injuries or property damage were reported.

Protesters moved their demonstration to the Minneapolis-St.

On Wednesday, Gov. Mark Dayton said that he “remains sympathetic to the concerns of Black Lives Matter”, but also felt the Hennepin County judge’s ruling had established conclusively that the mall had the right to bar protesters from its property.

“They talk about this demonstration as being disruptive”, Seratoff said. Protest leaders are demanding that investigators release video recordings of the incident, that a special prosecutor be assigned to the case and that four men accused of shooting protesters after Clark’s death face federal domestic terrorism charges.

The mall went on lockdown, police ushered everyone out and protesters headed to the Minneapolis-St.

Black Lives Matter activists organized the rally as a way to pressure authorities to release footage of a black man who was shot and killed by Minneapolis police last month.

“Our No. 1 priority is the safety of everybody out at the Mall of America today”, he said Wednesday morning.

The airport protest occurred soon after protesters were ordered to leave the nearby Mall of America.

The mall’s attempt this week to get a judge to shut down the protest failed, in part.

“We want a complete overhaul of the justice system both locally and nationally”. But Dayton said Wednesday that 30 state patrol officers will be on scene to support local police.

Black Lives Matter Minneapolis said on its Facebook page that at least 10 people were arrested during the course of the day and appealed for donations to pay their bail.

Black Lives Matter demonstrators camped outside a Minneapolis police station for almost three weeks after a police officer shot Jamar Clark, 24, on November 15. The rest of the Mall remained open, the mall said.