BLM protests shut down Mall of America, airport terminal
Activists seeking equal rights for African Americans have temporarily shut down the largest mall in the United States and an airport terminal during one of the busiest times of the year.
Hundreds of Black Lives Matter activists gathered for the protest at the Mall of America and Minneapolis-St Paul International airport on Wednesday.
The demonstrators, some of whom were arrested, ignored advance warnings by Mall of America about being detained as a result of attending the protest prior to Christmas just like last year.
“What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now,” chanted the defiant protesters.
“All participants must leave Mall of America property immediately … Those who fail to leave the property immediately will be subject to arrest,” said a video screen message at the mall during the demo.
The protesters later headed for the airport via public transit.
“Terminal 2 checkpoints are closed to prevent protesters from gaining access to secure area,” said the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in a tweet.
Protests against police brutality and racial profiling have peaked in the United States over death of several unarmed African Americans in the hands of American cops.
Wednesday’s protest particularly focused on the death of Jamar Clark, a black man who died the day after he was shot by police in the north of Minneapolis, a major city in the US state of Minnesota.
According to eyewitnesses, the 24-year-old was handcuffed when shut in the head.
The protest specifically aimed at pressuring authorities to release video footage of the shooting.
The mall had sought a court order to ban the protest earlier this week, which resulted in prohibition of three organizers from participation. The judge, however, said she does not have the power to prevent others from showing up.
“The court does not have a sufficient basis to issue an injunction as to Black Lives Matters or to unidentified persons who may be acting as its agents or in active concert with the Black Lives Matters movement,” Hennepin County district court judge Karen Janisch wrote.
Kandace Montgomery, one of three organizers barred by the judge’s order said, “We are a leader-full organization. Just barring three of us does not mean that you’ve stopped our work.”
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