Multiple Arrests As New York Protesters Rally Over Deadly Chicago, Minneapolis Police Shootings
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Several people were arrested Wednesday night, as protesters rallied and marched over recent deadly police shootings in Chicago and Minneapolis.
Protesters said they were also marching in solidarity with five activists who were shot while protesting the Minneapolis incident.
Millions March NYC and NYC Shut It Down – both of which are part of the Black Lives Matter movement decrying police violence against African-Americans – held a rally beginning around 6:30 p.m. in Washington Square Park. An attendee estimated that hundreds of people attended.
Following the rally, several groups of 50 to 100 people began marching and attempting to take over city streets.
At one point, a group went into Macy's at Herald Square, and at another point, a group tried blocking the Lincoln Tunnel, police said.
Late Wednesday, police said about six people had been arrested on potential disorderly conduct charges.
One participant, Keegan Stephan, accused police of "just charging into groups and grabbing people."
On Monday, five protesters were wounded in a shooting near the 4th Precinct police station on the north side of Minneapolis. Witnesses said the gunmen were white supremacists targeting those demonstrating in the aftermath of the death of Jamar Clark – who was shot and killed by a local police officer during a struggle.
Witnesses said the gunmen who fired at the protesters were hanging around the rally before others asked them to leave. The witnesses said the men came back a short time later and fired six shots at protesters, CBS Minnesota reported.
On Tuesday morning, police said they arrested two men in connection to the shooting.
Demonstrators were camped outside the police station following the death of Clark. They claimed Clark was handcuffed when an officer shot him in the head.
Police dispute that claim, saying Clark was trying to grab an officer's firearm, and that they were justified in using deadly force.
Protesters have called on city leaders to release video footage captured of the incident, but authorities say it would harm their investigation into the incident, CBS Minnesota reported.
Demonstrations have also been held in Chicago in recent days, after Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke was hit with murder charges in the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald in October 2014, CBS Chicago reported. On Tuesday, Chicago Police released dashcam video of the shooting on Chicago's Southwest Side, in which McDonald was struck 16 times.
Last year, protests were held around New York City following the death of Eric Garner in police custody on Staten Island, and the police shooting that killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Grand juries declined to indict the officers involved in both cases.
