New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio canceled his appearance at the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting in front of tens of thousands of people as a result of the Staten Island Grand Jury's announced that they were not going to indict NYPD officer who killed Eric Garner using an illegal chokehold, according to CBS News.
The Wednesday night event drew large groups of protesters attempting to reach the tree and larger crowds with performances by Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, Mariah Carey, Cyndi Lauper and others.
The NYPD closed down 48th, 49th, 50th and 51st Streets between Avenue of the Americas and Fifth Avenue until a little past 9 p.m. in order to keep protesters from invading the tree lighting event, according to CBS.
Protesters took over the West Side Highway, making their way downtown passing Times Square and then Herald Square.
De Blasio released a statement on Garner's death saying: "We all have a responsibility to work together to heal the wounds from decades of mistrust and create a culture where the police department and the communities they protect respect each other-and that's a responsibility that Commissioner Bratton and I take very seriously."
As a result of the grand jury's decision de Blasio cancelled his first-ever appearance as mayor at the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony and addressed the city on the Garner decision instead.
On Wednesday night, about two dozen demonstrators lay down in the middle of Grand Central Station's main hall in Midtown Manhattan in a silent protest during rush hour. As the night continued, protesters stopped traffic all around the city.
