Protests
have been held in US cities after a grand jury decided not to indict a
white police officer in the videotaped chokehold death of an unarmed
black man who had been stopped on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed
cigarettes.
In
New York City, angry crowds gathered on Wednesday in Manhattan and
Staten Island, near the site where Eric Garner was killed on July 17.
Garner’s
father Ben sought to keep demonstrations non-violent, telling one angry
bystander: “Let’s keep the peace, we all are hurting.”
The
decision not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo threatened to add to the
tensions that have simmered in the city since Garner’s death – a case
that sparked outrage and drew comparisons to the fatal police shooting
of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Missouri.
As
with Brown’s death in the St Louis suburb of Ferguson, the Garner case
sparked accusations of racist policing and calls for federal prosecutors
to intervene.
Immediately
after the announcement of the grand jury’s decision, protesters
gathered in Staten Island, expressing dismay over what they alleged was a
lack of justice.
“I
think the justice system keeps protecting white people,” Robert
Copeland, 32, told Al Jazeera. “This is the most blatant racism I’ve
ever seen since I’ve been alive.
“Several
black people have been killed this year and each of their killers got
away scot-free. That sends a loud message to black people.”
President
Barack Obama said the grand jury decision underscores the need to
strengthen the trust and accountability between communities and law
enforcement.
“When
anybody in this country is not being treated equally under the law,
that is a problem, and it’s my job as president to help solve it,” he
said.
The
US Justice Department will conduct a federal investigation into
Garner’s death, US Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Wednesday
evening.
The
developments in the Garner case comes just a week after a grand jury in
St Louis decided not to indict the white police officer who shot Brown,
which prompted violent protests.
Unlike in Ferguson, demonstrations in New York have remained peaceful.
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