With the Ferguson decision still fresh in their minds, protesters in Philadelphia held a second round of demonstrations on Tuesday as they rallied for justice on behalf of dead teen Michael Brown.
The first protest took place at noon in front of the Byrne Federal Courthouse along Independence Mall. A handful of men and women held signs reading "Outraged! Where is our Justice?" and "Don't Shop Black Friday" -- referencing a movement to boycott the yearly holiday shopping rush.
Federal law enforcement watched the demonstration from a nearby roof, watching the group from behind binoculars.
Tuesday afternoon, three groups — the Uhuru Movement, POWER and Temple University-based People Utilizing their Real Power or PURP — met outside Philadelphia City Hall to protest against the grand jury's decision, police brutality and racism.
Philadelphia Police estimated that some 100 people assembled in Dilworth Park around 3 p.m., but the numbers quickly continued to grow.
A short time later, protesters spilled into the streets, walking around City Hall before marching north on Broad Street. Some people held their hands up in the air and chanted "Hands Up. Don't Shoot."
They ended up at Temple University, some 2 miles away, where a rally took place. By then the group had grown to about 500 people, a police spokesperson tells NBC10.
Traffic on Broad Street was diverted from Poplar Street to Cecil B. Moore Avenue during the protest.
The crowd left Temple just after 5 p.m. and began weaving its way through North Philadelphia -- heading towards Center City.
A crowd of 400 to 500 people later gathered outside of the Philadelphia Police 9th District headquarters on 21st and Hamilton streets where two men who allegedly tried to walk onto the highway overnight were being held. One of the men was later released after being charged with disorderly conduct.
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The crowd left the area around 9 p.m. and marched southbound on 21st Street toward the parkway. During the march, the protesters demanded that police officers, including those in our area, start wearing body cameras to record their actions on the job.
"I know there are a lot of difficult logistics involved in that but it seems like a great step in the right direction of accountability," said Stephen Metzger of West Philadelphia.
The march mirrored last night's demonstrations in the hours after the grand jury's decision was made public.
Hundreds of people poured into the streets in Center City last night after Missouri officials announced a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson for fatally shooting the unarmed 18-year-old in August.
The groups marched through the streets, with a heavy police presence in tow, chanting their message of "No Justice. No Peace. No Racist Police." While loud and long — lasting some five hours — the demonstrations were mostly without issue. The only exception came late Monday when the group tried to walk onto Interstates 95 and 676 to block traffic. Police, instead, blocked them on the highway ramps.
Two people were taken into custody for running past officers on a ramp, but overall the city's top cop was happy with how the demonstrations took place.
"I think Philadelphians showed a lot of people just how you can get your point across without resorting to violence," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter echoed the commissioner's sentiments, but he had strong words for how Missouri officials released the information last night.
"Why would you make that kind of announcement in darkness now knowing at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon that a decision is coming at 9 o'clock at night?" Nutter asked. "I just think that's bad strategy and tactics."
Here's photos and videos posted by demonstrators:
