紐約爆發示威,反對扼喉事件裁決

Protests erupted throughout New York City Wednesday in reaction to a grand jury's decision not to indict a while police officer in the chokehold death of an unarmed black man in July.

Scores of people marched through the city's iconic Times Square hours after the decision was announced. The large crowds prompted police to block access to nearby Rockefeller Plaza, where a traditional Christmas tree lighting ceremony was scheduled to take place. Dozens of protesters lay on the floor of Grand Central Terminal and staged a silent so-called "die-in" demonstration.

In an incident captured by a pedestrian on his smartphone video recorder, 43-year-old Eric Garner was arguing with several New York city police officers who were arresting him for allegedly selling loose cigarettes. After several minutes, Officer Daniel Pantaleo grabbed Garner from behind in a chokehold and forced him to the sidewalk.

The heavyset Garner, who had asthma, was heard repeatedly gasping, "I can't breathe!'' The medical examiner ruled Garner's death a homicide as a result of the chokehold, a procedure which was banned by the New York Police Department in 1993.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced late Wednesday that he is opening a federal civil rights investigation into Garner’s death, a move that Garner’s family and activists have called for in recent months.

The decision not to indict Daniel Pantaleo comes less than two weeks after a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, declined to indict a white officer who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager during a street confrontation.

President Barack Obama reacted swiftly to the grand jury decision, saying it underscores the frustrations many African-Americans feel "that law enforcement is not working with them and dealing with them in a fair way."

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called this a “deeply emotional day” for the Garner family and all New Yorkers, acknowledging that many people do not agree with the grand jury’s decision.一個大陪審團決定不起訴今年7月扼住一名沒有攜帶武器的黑人的喉嚨令其窒息而死的白人警察，隨後紐約市爆發抗議活動。

這一決定宣佈後，很多人在具有標誌性的紐約時報廣場遊行示威。由於示威者衆多，警方封鎖了附近洛克菲勒廣場的入口。按照預定計劃，傳統的點亮聖誕樹儀式將在洛克菲勒廣場舉行。數十名抗議者躺在中央火車站，舉行所謂“扮死”示威。

一名路人用手機錄像拍攝了事件的經過。當時43歲的埃裏克•加納與幾名紐約市警察發生爭執，警察要逮捕據稱非法販賣零散香菸的加納。幾分鐘後，警官丹尼爾•潘塔萊奧從加納身後扼住他的喉嚨，把他拖向人行道。

身體肥胖的加納患有氣喘病，從錄像中可以聽到他反覆說“我喘不過氣來”。醫學檢查結果顯示，加納死於警察的扼喉動作，紐約警察局1993年決定禁止使用這一手段。

美國司法部長霍爾德星期三晚間宣佈，將對加納死亡事件開展聯邦民權調查，加納的家人和活動人士近幾個月來一直呼籲採取這一行動。

不到兩星期前，密蘇里州弗格森市的一個大陪審團決定，不起訴在一次街頭對峙中開槍打死一名黑人青年的白人警官。

美國總統奧巴馬對大陪審團的裁決迅速作出反應。他說，這凸顯了很多非洲裔美國人感到的沮喪，他們認爲“執法機構不與他們合作，用不公正的方式對待他們。”

紐約市長白思豪說，這對加納的家人和對全體紐約人是“極爲傷感的一天”。他承認很多人會不服大陪審團的裁決。