St. Paul Mayor Says Protestors Agree Not to Disrupt Marathon

ST. PAUL (AP) - Mayor Chris Coleman says Black Lives Matter St. Paul has agreed not to disrupt the Twin Cities Marathon during a rally planned for Sunday.

Coleman met with organizer Rashad Turner on Thursday. The mayor says Turner assured him they wouldn't interfere with runners and that they're committed to a peaceful rally. Coleman says space will be set aside near the finish line for the protesters.

Coleman says he achieved his goals of furthering a dialogue between the city and communities of color, and making sure the expected 10,000 racers are safe.

The planned protest by the St. Paul group, which is not officially affiliated with the national Black Lives Matter organization, raised fears that runners would be blocked from finishing the race, a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.