Trespass drove most arrests at Mall of America protest

Nearly all the 26 people arrested recently for protesting at the Mall of America were cited for misdemeanors. Most were for trespassing because the privately-owned mall bans political demonstrations.

Other misdemeanors listed in arrest reports released Monday by Bloomington police include disorderly conduct, unlawful assembly, obstructing the legal process and obstructing with force, which could rise to a gross misdemeanor.

A group calling itself Black Lives Matter organized the Dec. 20 demonstration to protest the recent killings of unarmed black men by police in other states. Mall management sent letters to protest organizers attempting to head off the event, but only succeeded in drawing more attention to it.

A diverse group of more than 1,500 people attended the protest. Of the 26 people arrested, 14 were white and 12 were black. There were 14 men, 9 women and three juveniles. Their ages ranged from 15 to 56; most were under 30.

Most of the people whose addresses were listed in the arrest reports hailed from the Twin Cities area, but one woman came from almost 80 miles away in Balsam Lake, Wisconsin.

None of the group's leaders were arrested, but Bloomington City Attorney Sandra Johnson has said she intends to file charges against them as soon as this week.