NEW YORK — Thousands of demonstrators blocked streets, snarling New York City traffic into early Thursday morning, after a grand jury decided not to charge a white police officer for causing the death of an unarmed black man with a chokehold. Mostly peaceful protests sprang up on Wednesday evening throughout Manhattan, including at Grand Central Terminal, Times Square and near Rockefeller Center, after the panel opted not to indict the officer, Daniel Pantaleo. Police reported about 30 arrests by mid-evening, but declined to provide updated figures overnight. The US Justice Department said it was investigating whether the civil rights of the dead man, 43-year-old father of six Eric Garner, had been violated. Garner was accused of illegally selling cigarettes on a sidewalk when Pantaleo put him in a chokehold from behind and tackled him with the help of other officers. – Reuters
