Mall of America seeks Restraining Order to Stop Protest

The mall is seeking a temporary restraining order that would prohibit four named activists, four unnamed parties, “their agents, and all persons in active concert or participation with them” from demonstrating on mall property without permission, according to court documents post by Black Lives Matter Minneapolis. A number of the demonstrators were arrested and charged with trespassing.

A Black Lives Matter group in Minneapolis said Monday it will not be intimidated by a lawsuit filed by the Mall of America against their activists ahead of a planned protest that could disrupt the busiest shopping day of the holiday season in the nation’s largest shopping mall.

The restraining order also seeks to require Black Lives Matter activists to post on social media calling off the demonstration. Susan Gaertner, with the Minneapolis firm Gray Plant Mooty, said her firm filed the order on behalf of the mall late Friday and attorneys are seeking a hearing before the scheduled protest.

“Mall of America is a private commercial retail center, and we prohibit all forms of protest, demonstration and public debate on our property, including political activity aimed at organizing police or social groups”, Mall of America officials wrote in the letter. A judge has not yet ruled on them.

“Organizers have no plans to halt the demonstration unless authorities release the tapes related to Jamar Clark’s case, prosecute police without a grand jury by special prosecutor and bring federal terrorism charges against white supremacists who shot five protesters during the occupation”, the activists demanded. Just last month, hundreds of protesters shut down a major freeway and occupied a local police station for days after police shot and killed Jamar Clark, an unarmed 24-year-old black man. After a targeted shooting threatened some of those protesters, they announced their next stop would be Minneapolis’ Mall of America on December 23. Several stores were forced to close as a result. “The Mall of America has now taken the further outrageous and totalitarian step of attempting to control the speech of individuals”, the group said on Facebook.

Marino Eccher can be reached at 651-228-5421.