Thanksgiving Day Parade News 2014: Ferguson Decision Protestors Arrested by NYPD After Trying to #StoptheParade [VIDEO]
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade brings out thousands of tourists and residents each year to celebrate the national holiday. Fans and bystanders are treated to ginormous floats, live performances and the chance to be seen on television across the nation. It's a joyous occasion that rarely involves anything but laughs, but America is split in light of the recent Ferguson decision. To expand and not lose sight of the issue of police killings, a group of protestors did their best to stop the parade.
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Though the idea of stopping such a large scale event may be daunting to some, users on social media decided to gather participants by using the hashtag ,#StoptheParade.
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. In support of the backlash from the Ferguson decision to not indict officer Darren Wilson for killing Mike Brown, expanding protests that shut down West Side Highway, the Brooklyn Bridge and FDR Drive, protestors tried to block the streets. The NYPD was out in full force and forcefully move protestors out of the streets.
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ABC News reports that seven people were arrested during the protest before the others who showed up (about 50 in all), retreated to an area ordered by police. Video of the face off surfaced online:
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The NYPD and the local officials were aware of the social media-sparked uprising. Before the parade and arrests, Police Commissioner Bill Braton stated, "We will not tolerate, under any circumstances, any effort to disrupt this parade... This is a national event, a historic event."
Still, we have a feeling that the protests will continue, including the planned protest of Black Friday.