7 protesters arrested at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

7 protesters arrested at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (Image 1) (Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)

(NBC NEWS) - Police say seven demonstrators protesting a grand jury's decision not to indict a police officer in the fatal shooting death of an unarmed 18-year-old in Ferguson, Missouri, were arrested at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Some protesters tried to organize a disruption of the parade on social media using the hashtag #stoptheparade. 

Six men and one woman were arrested near the parade barricades in the garment district. It's not clear what charges they face. Several bystanders posted photos and video of the arrests.

Later Thursday, a small group of protesters gathered on the steps of the New York Public Library near the route, holding signs and chanting, "Hands up, don't shoot."

One, Katia Nicholas, told NBC News she had planned to hop the barricades with those who were cuffed, but said she didn't want to be arrested.

"From what I heard, police didn't give any warning, they just started handcuffing people," she said.

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Before the arrests, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said that the NYPD wouldn't tolerate any attempts to disrupt the parade.

"We will not tolerate, under any circumstances, any effort to disrupt this parade," police Commissioner William Bratton said earlier Thursday. "This is a national event, a historic event. Anybody who would seek to interrupt it would be callous, indeed, on this very special day."

Thousands of protesters took to New York City streets on Monday and Tuesday after a grand jury decided not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown.

Ten protesters were arrested in Times Square on Tuesday.