Organizers expect hundreds at Mall of America protest

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Activists are planning a Black Lives Matter demonstration that they say could bring hundreds of protesters to the Mall of America on the day before Christmas Eve.

The protest set for today at the nation's largest mall is aimed at drawing attention to the police shooting last month of a black Minneapolis man, Jamar Clark. The 24-year-old died the day after he was shot by police responding to an assault complaint.

A similar demonstration last December drew hundreds of demonstrators angry over the absence of charges after the police killings of unarmed black men in New York City and Ferguson, Mo. Stores in the mall had to close, and dozens of people were arrested.

The privately owned mall said another demonstration would mean lost sales. The massive retail center in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington houses an amusement park and more than 500 shops spread across four floors, attracting shoppers from around the globe.

The mall sought a court order blocking the planned protest. A judge on Tuesday barred three organizers from attending the demonstration, but said she doesn't have the power to block unidentified protesters associated with Black Lives Matter — or the movement as a whole — from showing up.