Seven arrested in New York in Ferguson protest

Demonstrations have been staged across the US in the wake of the explosive grand jury decision in the Michael Brown case

Police in New York have arrested seven protesters who tried to disrupt the massive Thanksgiving Day parade over the decision not to charge a Ferguson cop who shot dead an unarmed black teen.

The demonstrators -- angry over this week's decision by a Missouri grand jury not to indict the white officer over the August death of Michael Brown -- were detained for 'disorderly conduct,' a police spokeswoman told AFP yesterday.

They allegedly tried to approach the route of the parade, knocking down metal barricades when police barred their path, according to local media.

Activists had used the #stoptheparade hashtag on Twitter to gather support for Thursday's protest.

Demonstrations have been staged across the United States in the wake of the explosive grand jury decision. In Ferguson, a suburb of St Louis, two days of violent unrest erupted, including looting and arson.

In New York, 10 people had been arrested Tuesday during demonstrations that blocked bridges and tunnels in the Big Apple. All have been released and are due to appear in court.

On Monday, two people were arrested during a protest immediately after the grand jury's decision was announced. One of them allegedly threw red paint on New York police Commissioner Bill Bratton.

Civil rights leaders have called for more protests nationwide on Saturday.