Bloomington Urged Not to File Demonstration Charges

BLOOMINGTON (AP) - Supporters of a large demonstration at the Mall of America last month are urging the City of Bloomington not to pursue charges for disrupting retailers and shoppers.

Several people at the Bloomington City Council meeting Monday night asked prosecutors to reconsider. More than two dozen people were arrested after the Dec. 20 demonstration organized by the group "Black Lives Matter." It was part of a nationwide wave of protests following incidents in Missouri and New York in which unarmed black men were killed by police.

City Attorney Sandra Johnson says she plans to file charges against protest organizers for unlawful assembly or aiding a public nuisance. She also plans to seek restitution for additional security costs incurred by the mall.