About 200 people marching through downtown Seattle disrupted black Friday holiday shopping and the city’s traditional Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
They marched in the rain, blocking intersections and streets, in protest of a Missouri grand jury’s decision this week to not indict a police officer who fatally shot a black teenager.
The protesters flooded into Westlake shopping center, taking over escalators and lying down on the floor. Seattle police ultimately turned shoppers away.
The mall closed early for the night and the traditional Christmas tree-lighting ceremony nearby was cut short.
Police say both officers and demonstrators used pepper spray. Five people were arrested.
In a statement, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said while he supports the protesters' First Amendment rights, violence against property or police officers would not be tolerated.
