It's a quarter past one, 45 minutes before the scheduled start of the #BlackLivesMatter protest here at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. So far, a few badly disguised plainclothes officers aside, it looks like any other Saturday before Christmas here.
I'm perched nearby and will be reporting from the scene as things progress. I will get pictures as soon as I can make my tablet cooperate.
Signs at all entrances warn protesters that they are unwelcome and subject to arrest and one year ban from this temple to consumerism. Yet as many as 2000 people are predicted to attend.
Stay tuned. I'll be updating frequently.
11:44 AM PT: A crowd is gathering at the balconies surrounding the rotunda. The rotunda itself is not very populated yet. But people are here to bear witness, in solidarity or curiosity, but they're here.
11:46 AM PT: I'm taking pictures but for now the interface for both my phone and my tablet makes putting them in the diary problematic.
11:53 AM PT: Talking with Neiman Levy-Pounds, one of the organizers or at least a mentor. She's a civil rights attorney at St. Thomas University. She's waiting to head down because she heard the organizers are being targeted.
11:54 AM PT: NEKIMA. Darn you auto correct.
11:55 AM PT: Crowd gathering. Large. Very large. Part of the rotunda is empty though.
11:57 AM PT: Crowd is growing. Rotunda is filling.
11:59 AM PT: Yellow flyers being handed out. I'm told some spoof carols are to be sung. Should be interesting.
12:00 PM PT: Rotunda is full now. Police presence is not obvious or large yet. Signs are coming out.
12:03 PM PT: Chant has begun. No justice no peace.
12:03 PM PT: Chant has begun. No justice no peace.
12:04 PM PT: Can't make our second chant. Singing now. And clapping. Nobody is trying to stop anything yet.
12:07 PM PT: Police are trying to keep us away from the rail. They're here in force now
12:09 PM PT: Mic check style speech. Loudspeaker now ordering dispersal over the speech. Crowd did not respond well at all. Loud boos.
12:10 PM PT: No justice no peace chant. People now lying down in rotunda.
12:12 PM PT: The screen in the rotunda displays a message saying the demonstration is not authorized and people who do not disperse will be subject to arrest. Curiously nobody seems to pay it any mind.
12:12 PM PT: Hands up don't shoot chant.
12:14 PM PT: Chanting and marching. I notice police are here from several towns and cities in the area. Shakopee, savage. ..
12:16 PM PT: Chants continue. No action by police. Black lives matter is the current chant. The crowd is still growing into the thousands.
12:18 PM PT: The loudspeaker again warns protesters will be subject to arrest. The crowd boos loudly again. Of course it came during a speech not a chant.
12:19 PM PT: Chant. That's why we're here. To stand for Tamir.
12:20 PM PT: A carol to the tune of jingle bells.i can't make out the lyrics.
12:22 PM PT: Chant. While you're on your shopping spree, black people cannot breathe.
Police remain passive. To their credit.
12:23 PM PT: Mic check style speeches are remarkably useful. The occupy movement gave activism a powerful tool.
12:25 PM PT: Circling the second floor. Hands up don't shoot.
12:26 PM PT: If anything bad goes down I'll be recording rather than updating.
12:32 PM PT: Second floor is being blocked. Pushing and shoving between security and protesters. Oh dear.
12:35 PM PT: One man wrestled to the ground and hailed away in cuffs. Riot police out. Wish for the best everyone.
12:42 PM PT: Riot police being methodical and peaceful, marching slowlyto clear the walkway on the first floor and now the rotunda. I'm relieved they didn't draw clubs or anything.
12:43 PM PT: Chanting throughout. Hey hey ho ho police brutality has got to go.
12:45 PM PT: Second floor remains packed and chanting continues. The riot police are keeping everyone out of the rotunda though the protest had moved into the second floor anyway. Corridors on the east side are packed with hundreds of protesters.
12:48 PM PT: The folks at Lush cosmetics have made signs and joined in.
12:50 PM PT: Other stores including the mall of America souvenir store have closed and barred their doors. Cowards.
12:54 PM PT: People are starting to disperse from the second floor. At security's behest but politely. They're asking people to leave the mall.
12:54 PM PT: Other side of the second floor they remain with a couple more mic check speeches
12:58 PM PT: Crowds losing some of its energy as people start to dissipate. Still it was an organized peaceful and effective demonstration. Police are still trying to control areas but we're down to only a couple hundred north of the rotunda.
1:06 PM PT: They've corralled the entire area and I think everyone inside the perimeter can only go out the exit on the east side.
1:10 PM PT: Here come more security people. I think they're about to shunt everyone, protester or otherwise, out the east door.
1:11 PM PT: It really is what a police state looks like.
1:11 PM PT: It really is what a police state looks like.
1:14 PM PT: Yep. Being herded out the door. Very politely by police in riot gear. Which is really the police state in microcosm.
1:19 PM PT: Old couple being forced around the mall outside to get to their car. Cop says "you can thank the protesters for that." I laughed bitterly.
1:20 PM PT: Resurgent chant. Hands up don't shoot. In the entrance area next to the rotunda.
1:21 PM PT: Auntie Anne pretzels crew recording the latest chant next to the riot geared police.
1:25 PM PT: It looks like they are holding the line on both sides here at the entrance. Chanting and reenergized.
1:26 PM PT: New chant. Who do you protect? Who do you serve?
1:28 PM PT: Still a couple hundred people strong. Bullhorn is demanding dispersal. They aren't.
1:29 PM PT: Bullhorn guy is comically drowned out by the chanting. No justice no peace
1:30 PM PT: Go across the street and continue your protest on public property days the Bullhorn.
1:31 PM PT: Go across the street and continue your protest on public property days the Bullhorn.rows of riot police slowly crowding out the protesters. Bullhorn threatening arrest.
1:33 PM PT: The biggest shopping day of the year and dozens of storefronts are closed.
1:33 PM PT: They're moving in to make arrests as people lie down in passive resistance.
1:35 PM PT: People are making shouts to offer help for legal assistance.
1:36 PM PT: People are filling out and chanting as the riot police crowd them out.
1:47 PM PT: Forced into the walkway. I was starting to get crushed by the wall of police and I had nowhere to go. The riot police kept chanting move move move. They sounded like cattle. Which is kind of appropriate.
1:53 PM PT: Choke point. Doors out on second floor. Skyway. Doors shut, only way out is to the garage. Police outside blocking street. I have no idea how much of the mall is closed right now. But the standoff is at the door now.
2:04 PM PT: We bailed at this point. Looking around we could walk right back in through sears but the protest area itself inside and out is heavily policed and cut off. But two close calls spooked the lady friend enough that it was time to go.
The worst was an elderly Latina who sat down in front of the line and she had a medical condition. She was picked up by the arms by the police and a large black protester was outraged by her manhandling and charged right past me at the police. He was tackled and cuffed but I couldn't see much after that. The other was being crushed. So you know. It's been an afternoon.
I seea helicopter or two hovering over the mall. Press I would assume.
2:09 PM PT: Thanks everyone in the comments for providing pictures I could not. I took pictures and video and will post some in another diary in the next few hours.