NEW YORK, December 4 (Sputnik) – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio urged protesters to remain peaceful amid demonstration, which followed a grand jury decision not to bring charges against a police officer who chocked African-American Eric Garner to death.
"Today's outcome is one that many in our city did not want. Yet New York City owns a proud and powerful tradition of expressing ourselves through non-violent protest," the mayor said Wednesday.
"We trust that those unhappy with today's grand jury decision will make their views known in the same peaceful, constructive way. We all agree that demonstrations and free speech are valuable contributions to debate, and that violence and disorder are not only wrong – but hurt the critically important goals we are trying to achieve together," de Blasio stressed.
New York City owns a proud and powerful tradition of expressing ourselves through non-violent protest. http://t.co/C6lY1kk3Eb
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) December 3, 2014
On Wednesday, a silent protest over the grand jury decision occurred in Grand Central Terminal's main hall while crowds of several hundred people assembled nearby in Times Square, where demonstrators called for a public trial, rather than the grand jury process that takes place behind closed doors.
Other groups of protesters gathered in Staten Island, where Garner was apprehended. There were also reports that demonstrators would try and disrupt the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center – an annual and heavily-publicized event.
Garner, who was an asthmatic, died from suffocation in July after being put in a chokehold by police officer Daniel Pantaleo. A bystander recorded a video of police arresting Garner, who sold untaxed cigarettes, and Pantaleo later choking the man to death, as Garner cried out "I can't breathe, I can't breathe". The video went viral on the internet.
