Black Friday protests over Laquan McDonald shooting across US
Black Lives Matter and minimum wage protests are taking place on Black Friday, the kick-off of the Christmas shopping season. Chicago, Illinois remains the center of the anti-police brutality deaths, while Walmart employees are targeting the retail giant.
While shoppers flock to stores to fight ‒ sometimes literally ‒ for the best offers, a march is planned along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, the city’s premier shopping district. The Black Lives Matter demonstration comes three days after the release of a video that shows a police officer fatally shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times.
The Chicago protest is reminiscent of 2014’s Black Friday demonstrations, which were centered near St. Louis, Missouri, but spread across the country. Last year, activists turned out at top retail outlets to protest a grand jury decision not to indict Darren Wilson, then a police officer in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, for killing Michael Brown, an unarmed teen, that August.
For the fourth year running, Walmart employees are protesting on Black Friday, pushing the US retail giant to once again raise its minimum wage. Currently Walmart pays its workers at least $9 an hour, but workers are asking for $15.
28 November 2015
02:43 GMTSeattle police outfitted in riot gear and bikes stand in front of the mall doors.
These storm trooper cops look like they are ready for motorcross. #BlackLivesMatter#notblackfriday#Seattlepic.twitter.com/MU5WimP4DR
— Mike Bivins (@itsmikebivins) November 28, 2015- 02:31 GMT
Protesters chant “Block Black Friday” in front of Seattle’s Westlake Center mall.
"#Blacklivesmatter, fuck #BlackFriday." #NotOneDime#BlackoutBlackFriday#blacklivesmatterfriday#NOTblackfridaypic.twitter.com/BPI5QCJSyu
— Mike Bivins (@itsmikebivins) November 28, 2015 - 02:18 GMT
Sit in underway outside Seattle’s mall Westlake Center, police are blocking the entrance to the mall.
#Blacklivesmatter Sit in now underway outside Westlake Center. Police barring doors to the mall. seatimes/1tic5e8 pic.twitter.com/atlv0927pa
— Sara Jean Green (@SJGTimes) November 28, 2015 - 00:57 GMT
Legal observers in green hats, cops in green vests, and the most guarded Xmas tree in Seattle. #BlackLivesMatterpic.twitter.com/okXjA4EQxI
— Jimmy Lovaas (@jimmylovaas) November 28, 2015Police are keeping Seattle protesters away from the Christmas tree at Westlake mall.
#Seattle fills Pine Street at Westlake Mall & the ceremonial tree. 100s of #BlackLivesMatter protesters at the front pic.twitter.com/QtdX8n5KOG
— Dark Are The Days (@LovDancSubvrt) November 28, 2015 - 00:45 GMT
The protest in Portland appears to be over. Organizers estimate up to 400 people participated.
#BlackLivesMatter march appears to be over. An organizer estimates 300-400 people participated.
— Everton Bailey Jr. (@EvertonBailey) November 28, 2015 - 00:39 GMT
Protests in Chicago have shut down much of the main shopping district for the better part of the day, and are still going on in places.
Some of the protesters demand the resignation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and Police Superintendent Gary McCarthy.
Black Chicagoans demand rights and #Rahm resign, shutdown almost every store on MichiganAve #16shots#LaquanMcDonaldpic.twitter.com/EAkIiOUvyk
— Jonathan Leavitt (@JCL_VT) November 28, 2015 - 00:36 GMT
Seattle police have arrested at least three of the protesters.
One woman arrested just now. 2 other people arrested earlier pic.twitter.com/EQYLcJUvvd
— Hana Kim (@hanamkim) November 28, 2015 - 00:15 GMT
At Seattle's Pacific Place mall, sources report damage to the door of the Macy's store. Protesters have moved back to Westlake mall, where they were blocked by a police line.
Source tells me doors at Macy's are broken and glass shattered at Pacific Place #Q13FOXpic.twitter.com/MlyJChFuHd
— Hana Kim (@hanamkim) November 28, 2015 - 00:06 GMT
In Chicago, police clashed with protesters blocking the entrance to Tiffany's on Michigan Avenue, which has been closed for a while.
#LaquanMcDonald protest/A cop shovin thm away 2 escort 1 angry shoppr in2 #Tiffanys creates confrontation pic.twitter.com/FbNDgKIlqG
— Maudlyne Ihejirika (@maudlynei) November 27, 2015 27 November 2015
23:57 GMTSeattle police are blocking the Black [Lives Matter] Friday protesters from entering Westlake mall.
Cops not allowing #seattle#BlackLivesMatter#westlake protest to get through. pic.twitter.com/RQbRoJLDSz
— Bernard (@bernardr) November 27, 2015At the corner of commerce and protest. #BlackLivesMatter#Seattlepic.twitter.com/39VgFlN1SF
— Suzannah Kolbeck (@Suzannah314) November 27, 2015
