Garner Protests Spread Across Country

Thousands of people were out on the streets of New York City last night protesting the Eric Garner decision for a second night, and demonstrations also took place in cities across the country, some targeting Christmas tree-lighting ceremonies. Thousands marched in Boston and hundreds of people staged "die-ins" in Detroit and in DC, less than a block from where the White House tree-lighting ceremony was taking place, the AP reports. There were also protests in other cities, including Atlanta, Denver, Chicago, and Minneapolis, where people protesting police violence mixed with fast-food workers calling for higher wages.

In New York, dozens were arrested as protesters brought rush-hour traffic to a halt on the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, reports the New York Daily News. Pepper spray was used on protesters on the West Side Highway, but the protests remained mostly peaceful, with chants including Garner's final words, "I can't breathe," CNN reports. Mayor de Blasio has announced the start of a huge retraining effort for at least 22,000 officers, which will include "de-escalation" techniques, reports the New York Times. He called for calm yesterday, but he also made it clear he has no problem with nonviolent demonstrations taking place. "All these things are happening right now because the people demanded it," he said. "Keep demanding it." (More Eric Garner stories.)