Stores close ahead of expected Mall of America protest

[alp227]

Source: AP

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Stores closed, kiosks were covered and even Santa left his sleigh at the Mall of America on Wednesday as the nation's largest mall prepared for hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters to hold a demonstration on one of the busiest shopping days.

Hundreds of people were gathering around the mall's central rotunda shortly before the protest's scheduled start. Police were patrolling the area.

Organizers said the planned protest is aimed at drawing attention to the police shooting last month of a 24-year-old Jamar Clark, a black man who died the day after he was shot by Minneapolis police responding to an assault complaint.

A similar demonstration last December drew hundreds of demonstrators angry over the absence of charges following the police killings of unarmed black men in New York City and Ferguson, Missouri. Stores in the mall had to close, and dozens of people were arrested.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/f5a6dcdf6996456083f2e051a2de6c2e/organizers-expect-hundreds-mall-america-protest

[KamaAina]

1. Won't someone please think of the profit margins?

[marble falls]

3. Think of the poor Dollars! It just doesn't make cents.

[hack89]

4. I suspect the workers are thinking about their pay checks.

but then they don't matter in the grand scheme of things.

[Purveyor]

2. Officers Confront Black Lives Matter Protesters at Mall of America

Several dozen protesters -- part of a Black Lives Matter demonstration -- were pushed out of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, this afternoon by a wall of officers.

The group said on its Facebook page that the protest -- on what is one of the busiest shopping days of the year and at the nation's largest mall -- aims to bring awareness to last month's deadly police shooting of Jamar Clark, a black man from Minneapolis.

The protest was planned for 2:30 p.m. ET, according to ABC affiliate KSTP-TV in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

But they were met with officers using a loud horn to say the demonstration on mall property was not authorized. The officers then moved forward until everyone exited.

Some protesters were outside the mall, chanting in an area that police had cordoned off to allow them to gather outdoors.

more...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/black-lives-matter-protest-expected-mall-america-today/story?id=35923269

[yallerdawg]

5. "We have places for you to protest!"

Where you don't disturb or bother anyone.

I guess the mall couldn't swing banning blacks altogether:

Parental Escort Policy

We welcome all youth to Mall of America®, however on Friday and Saturday evenings youth under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older from 4 p.m. until close.

Please note that during the holiday season, we have extended our Parental Escort Policy to include Thanksgiving, Black Friday and December 26 - 31. The PEP policy will be enforced during mall hours on those dates.

[BlueJazz]

6. I'm all for protests but not on private property.

1. Even with a good message, you are violating private space.
2. You usually piss off more people than you bring over to your side.
3. When you protest other than outside (as I've done ..PP) you tend to scare people. Not good.
4. Pick your fights with intelligence not emotion.

What BLM is doing at Mall of America is not going to help them.

[romanic]

7. Well

pissing people off in a mall beats pissing people off on the highway during rush hour so I guess BLM is getting a bit courteous. :-/

[BlueJazz]

8. True. I just hate to see their/our cause get trashed because they are going about it in the wrong..

....place. There's city streets, city parks, the government buildings, the police stations and more.
I think the Mall is bad for them.

[guillaumeb]

9. The Mall is where people congregate. A safe space for spending money.

Too bad the public streets are not safe spaces for black people.