Black Friday: Chicago demonstrators seek to disrupt shopping in protest over

Many activists have called what happened to McDonald a “modern-day lynching”.

“Because people are blocking the doors, it can be hard to tell what stores are open”.

A small contingent of the Revolutionary Communist Party was on hand at Water Tower Place attempting – but largely failing – to co-opt the protest scene.

Marchers tried to get inside the shopping center, but were kept out by police who held them back, and by locked doors when they were able to slip past police.

Some of Chicago’s most high-profile community leaders took part in the initial Magnificent Mile march.

On Friday, strategies were executed by protesters for demonstrations that were set in place before video and the criminal charges became public. It’s not just the police chief.

“Several protesters were seen lying face-down on the ground in handcuffs. That has to end”, he said.

Many protesters said they believed they could garner attention from Chicago officials by demonstrating on one of the country’s major retail days and harming the city’s economy. There have been isolated clashes between police and protesters, with about 10 arrests and only a few minor reports of property damage. Among them was the typically swamped Apple store, where dozens of employees in red shirts stood in an otherwise empty two-story space and watched through store windows as protesters linked arms to stop anyone from entering.

“We shut shit down”, was a common refrain.

Chicago’s NBC affiliate reported that one man confronted the protesters, demanding they let him pass and telling them they are wasting their efforts and unfairly inconveniencing normal people. Protesters also spilled over onto southbound Michigan Avenue, and traffic was eventually stopped in that direction north of the river as well.

Four college students from Hong Kong who are studying in the Boston area said they would not have come shopping if they’d known about the protest.

Alice Xia was eating at Michael Jordan Steakhouse on North Michigan Avenue when protesters interrupted her meal.

“It seemed to be pretty peaceful”, Howard said.

“He stayed on the desk working for a whole year of pay”, Hinton said.

Nordstrom, a big shopping department store on the street, was among the stores blocked.

Paralyzing traffic on Chicago’s famous Michigan Avenue, demonstrators used Black Friday’s prominence to declare that the mayor, police commissioner and prosecutor must step down.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez weren’t immediately available for comment Friday. McDonald, who authorities allege was carrying a three-inch knife and was suspected of breaking into cars, spins around and falls to the pavement as Van Dyke keeps shooting.

“See this attractive black lady?”

“I used to want to grow up and be a police officer”. It was the police who allegedly destroyed evidence by deleting videotape recorded by a nearby Burger King security camera – video that may have contained relevant footage – shortly after the McDonald shooting. He was shot 16 times by a Chicago police officer. “That is your job”, Foxx xaid.

Van Dyke was on desk duty, still getting his $84,000 annual salary, until he was charged.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson said other officers involved in McDonald’s death should be fired or at least suspended.

“I’ve never quit on anything in my life”, McCarthy said.

“I am the parent of a 15-year-old who is also the ward of the state. Don’t expect that to change”, he said. One protester told a local news reporter, “The fact that all of us need to be here shutting down commerce in order to maybe get people to think that black lives are important, as everyone else is, is really sick!”