New York’s Macy’s department store is the iconic site of the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, aired on televisions across the U.S., but on Wednesday night it also played host to a Black Lives Matter protest.
Protestors gathered earlier in the evening at Washington Square Park in the West Village to show solidarity with the Minneapolis chapter of Black Lives Matter, which was rattled after five protestors were shot there Monday and gunshots rang out again on Tuesday.
Justice League NYC members are at the Washington Sq Park #4thPrecinctShutDown solidarity rally. Look at the crowd! pic.twitter.com/hRQg4T2W4o
— Justice League NYC (@NYjusticeleague) November 26, 2015
NYC rises in solidarity with #4thprecinctshutdown to demand #Justice4Jamar pic.twitter.com/xCviNokQMB
— Millions March NYC (@MillionsMarch) November 25, 2015
“There was always a war,” said a member of the NYC Justice League while speaking to the crowd at Washington Square Park on Wednesday night, in a video posted to Twitter. “The thing is, we didn’t start it. But we’ve gotta be organized enough to protect each other.”
Around 10pm, the protestors fanned out and began marching across the city. Some walked west toward the Lincoln Tunnel, where mass arrests reportedly included members of the press and bystanders stopped for jaywalking. Other activists reported on Twitter that police began making arrests after marchers shut down streets, blocking traffic.
https://twitter.com/SeaNick_/status/669865726480642048
#NYPD new Strategic Response Group #4thPrecinctShutDown #nyc #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/gxqa9sG6IJ
— Nicholas Isabella (@NycStormChaser) November 26, 2015
NYC streets still shut down in solidarity with Minneapolis, multiple arrests #justice4jamar #4thprecinctshutdown pic.twitter.com/C5e35hBGIg
— Millions March NYC (@MillionsMarch) November 26, 2015
Mass arrests by entrance to Lincoln Tunnel #4thPrecinctShutDown #NYC https://t.co/TOO6xYbJKs
— JamesFromTheInternet (@JamesFTInternet) November 26, 2015
NYPD arresting member of the press at peaceful #4thPrecinctShutDown solidarity demo, NYC. pic.twitter.com/th9IIkfOBN
— Keegan Stephan (@KeeganNYC) November 26, 2015
Other protestors headed uptown, walking nearly forty blocks towards the 34th Street Macy’s location—where they marched through the store chanting “Black Lives Matter,” “No justice, no peace, f*** these racist police.”
Currently marching through Herald Sq Macy's store. #NYC #4thPrecinctShutDown pic.twitter.com/pVJBdGqZqj
— Miki Pope (@MikiTakesPhotos) November 26, 2015
Protesters flood NYC @Macys in solidarity with Minneapolis#Justice4Jamar #BlackLivesMatter
— Andrew J. Padilla 🇵🇷 (@apadillafilm6) November 26, 2015
RT@AshAgony pic.twitter.com/iaAau4EKBe
#NYC: Macy's has been invaded by #4thPrecinctShutDown solidarity March! #BlackLivesMatter #JamarClark pic.twitter.com/ps2LaWyU3Y
— Ash J (@AshAgony) November 26, 2015
The marchers also chanted “Kids are dying, stop your buying,” as they walked through Macy’s—referring primarily to the recent police killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, which led to first-degree murder charges and a potential life sentence for Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke.
In Minneapolis, protestors continue to occupy the area outside the 4th Precinct, near the location where 24-year-old Jamar Clark was fatally shot by police on November 15. Protest updates can be found on Twitter under the hashtag #4thPrecinctShutDown.
Photo via fuseboxradio/Flickr (CC BY SA 2.0)