Second night of 'chokehold' protests in NYC

Thousands poured onto New York's streets and shut down the Brooklyn Bridge Thursday to condemn police killings of unarmed black suspects.

It was the second night of rallies after a grand jury on Wednesday (03.11.2014) decided not to indict a white police officer implicated in the death by chokehold of 43-year-old African American Eric Garner, who was suspected of selling loose cigarettes in the New York borough of Staten Island.

As New York police sealed off the Holland Tunnel, the main road to neighboring New Jersey, local TV channel NBC New York said that thousands had streamed up the west side of Manhattan.

Thousands massed in New York's Foley Square, close to police headquarters, shouting "Shut it down" and carrying placards saying "Black Lives Matter" and "Racism Kills."

There were tensions as a crowd of at least 3,000 congregated in Times Square about an hour before midnight, shouting to police, "Who do you protect?"

While there were a number of arrests, there were no major instances of violence.

Protests also took place in other US cities, including Boston, Chicago and Washington DC.

Viral video sparked protests

The attempted arrest of Eric Garner on July 17 was captured on video and went viral over the Internet, fueling debate about US police and alleged racism.

On Wednesday, police said they arrested some 30 people in New York City alone after protests. Amid the chants heard that evening at gathering points such as Times Square and Grand Central Terminus were "I can't breathe" - Garner's words captured on microphone during the arrest - and "How do you spell racist? N-Y-P-D!"

US Attorney General Eric Holder had said Wednesday that the Justice Department would launch a federal civil rights investigation into the death of Eric Garner.

The decision not to prosecute officerDaniel Pantaleo was the second time in just over a week that a grand jury did not indict a white officer involved in the death of an unarmed black man. The decision by grand jurors not to proceed with charges against officer Darren Wilson over the death of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, also sparked a wave of unrest.

US President Barack Obama spoke about the Garner case on Wednesday, saying that the grand jury decision underscored the need to strengthen the trust and accountability between communities and law enforcement.

rc/cd (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)