Protesters Block Luxury Stores in Chicago on Black Friday

Police brutality against minorities in the United States has been a major point of concern for long resulting in large-scale demonstrations across the country and the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The downtown Chicago demonstration comes three days after police, acting under a court order, released footage from a dashboard-mounted video camera that captured the October 20, 2014 shooting death of McDonald.

“I grew up in Italy under Mussolini – I wasn’t brought up with all this”, he confided with a smile, gesturing to the crowd, which was chanting that McDonald had been shot 16 times.

“We believe injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”, said J.D. Anderson, the pastor at Centennial Missionary Baptist Church on the city’s south side. They aldermen also complain that the superintendent had made little effort to hire and promote African-American officers.

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. Jackson singled out Thomas Balanoff, the white leader of the politically powerful Service Employees International Union.

“The state’s attorney has no credibility”, Jackson said. “Does he have a black child?” I’m 56 years old.

CTU President Karen Lewis issued a statement urging members to express their “outrage and dignity” by participating in Friday’s march on Michigan Avenue on a stretch called the Magnificent Mile. “The whole damn system is guilty as hell”. They blocked traffic and the entrances to many stores and prompted other businesses to lock their doors in the biggest public display since video of the shooting was released earlier this week.

Activists chanting “16 shots!”

Marchers carried signs calling for justice for McDonald and for the creation of a community police accountability council. Several shoving matches broke out.

“I’m totally, totally sick of these kids getting killed”, she said, “but that has nothing to do with me using the bathroom at the f– Crate and Barrel”.

“While we expect officers to do their jobs… there are a few bad apples who go too far and break the law”, she said.

At least 2,000 people gathered on Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile” on Friday, blocking traffic and barring shoppers from entering stores. These are the questions protestors are seeking answers to as well as making demands. The woman became angry, and tried to push past. When one person tried to get through the front door of Saks Fifth Avenue, protesters screamed at him, shouting, “Shut it down!”

Police are bracing for more protests in the coming days. Then McDonald can be seen lying on the ground, moving occasionally.

Outside Zara, a female security guard at the store yelled at protesters, telling them their actions were not peaceful. A sidewalk saxophonist blew his horn, people stood on grassy medians to take pictures and frustrated tourists made their way down the middle of the street after being forced off sidewalks.

Dennis trained uniformed police officers who were armed with pistols and who regularly encountered violent suspects armed with impact weapons, particularly knives. North Michigan Avenue is one of the largest shopping attractions in the Midwest and hosts many flagship stores, hotels and luxury brands.

“I understand what you guys are doing but I want to shop”, Bruno Behrend of River Forest told them.