Police brutality protesters rally at Mall of America

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — A mass of demonstrators chanting, “Black lives matter,” converged in the Mall of America rotunda Saturday as part of a protest against police brutality that caused part of the mall to shut down on a busy day for holiday shopping.

The group Black Lives Matter Minneapolis had more than 3,000 people confirm on Facebook that they would attend. Official crowd estimates weren’t immediately available, but pictures posted to social media by local news organizations showed the rotunda was full. Organizer Mica Grimm estimated about 3,000 people participated.

The rally is part of protests happening nationwide after officers weren’t charged in the deaths of unarmed black men in Missouri and New York.

During the rally, protesters shouted “While you’re on your shopping spree, black people cannot breathe” — a reference to the chokehold police placed on Eric Garner, who died in New York. As they were dispersing, they walked down the hall with their arms raised, shouting “Hands up, don’t shoot!” That saying has been used in Ferguson, Missouri, in protests against the death of 18-yearold Michael Brown, and in demonstrations elsewhere.

Bloomington police said 25 people were arrested, mainly for reasons such as trespassing. Commander Mark Stehlik said he was not aware of any injuries or property damage.

Mall representatives had warned protesters in advance that they could be removed, arrested and banned. The mall’s management issued a statement Saturday saying it was “extremely disappointed” that protest organizers ignored the policy banning political protests.