14 DAY TRIAL // A recent decision by a grand jury not to indict the police officer who killed Eric Garner has spurred massive protests across the New York area, including a mass “die-in” at Apple’s iconic glass cube on Fifth Avenue. Garner was killed by neck compression from chokehold, along with “the compression of his chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police,” according to medical examiners.
The protests began Wednesday, when a New York grand jury decided not to indict white officer Daniel Pantaleo in the chokehold death a black 43-year-old father of six named Eric Garner. Today, the protesters took the flagship Apple Store on Fifth Avenue by storm.
According to Reuters’ Robert MacMillan, no arrests were made and there was no looting. On Twitter, he reported a 15-minute “die-in” inside the renowned Apple Store as customers were roaming about the display tables.
More than 100 people took part in the demonstration, as employees watched. When asked “why Apple?,” one protester said “what better place than a big glass building to make a point,” according to one of MacMillan’s tweets. The protesters then moved from the Apple store to a Macy’s store, and then to a McDonald’s restaurant.
Detective Michael DeBonis, a spokesman for the New York Police Department, said “The protests remained very peaceful throughout the night.”
