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Protesters holding banners march at midtown Manhattan in New York, the United States, on Dec. 3, 2014, after a grand jury voted not to indict a white police officer in the chokehold death of a black man on Staten Island. Eric Garner, a 43-year-old father of six, died in July 17 after police officers attempted to arrest him for allegedly selling loose, untaxed cigarettes on Staten Island, New York. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)
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NEW YORK, Dec.3 (Xinhua) -- Protesters marched throughout New York City Wednesday night after a grand jury voted not to indict a white police officer in the chokehold death of a black man on Staten Island.
Eric Garner, a 43-year-old father of six, died in July 17 after police officers attempted to arrest him for allegedly selling loose, untaxed cigarettes on Staten Island, New York.
A video shot by an onlooker showed Garner telling officers to leave him alone as they tried to arrest him and one then responded by wrapping his arm around Garner's neck in what appeared to be a chokehold.
Much as what the protesters did last week following a grand jury decision in the Michael Brown case in Ferguson, Missouri, protesters flooded the streets in mid-town Manhattan, shutting down traffic near 51st Street.
Some protesters had arrived at Rockefeller Plaza saying they planned to disrupt the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center, chanting "No justice, no tree."
They were seen on the sidewalk holding signs "black lives matter," chanted "hands up, don't shoot" and "I can't breathe," which Garner was heard saying on video after he was taken down by chokehold.
Handing out a stack of posters which read "I can't breathe," Hollie Dowd told Xinhua that she came here to speak out against the "broken justice system" in the United States.
"I participated in the Ferguson demonstration last week. And when I heard the decision of the grand jury not to indict the cop, I felt it is ridiculous. There is no justice," she said.
"The protests are not just about changing the results, it is about changing the future," the New Yorker added.
The protesters also marched up Broadway nearby and disrupted traffic, and they also blocked traffic on Tenth Avenue and were also seen marching east on 57th Street in mid-town Manhattan.
Hundreds of New York police were sent to the streets. A total of about 30 people were arrested at different locations in Manhattan on citations for obstruction of vehicular traffic, local media quoted police as saying.
The Justice Department will conduct a federal investigation into the chokehold death of the unarmed man, Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday.
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