DeRay McKesson Among Dozens Arrested During Nationwide Black Lives Matter Protests

More protests are expected across the country today in the wake of the recent killings of African-American men by police officers. Following the killing of five officers in Dallas by a black Afghanistan veteran, police forces are on high alert as copycat attacks on white police are feared.

Prominent Black Lives Matter campaigner DeRay McKesson was arrested in Baton Rouge, Louisiana while protesting against the police killing of Alton Sterling. McKesson was making a live recording when police arrested him. Up to 100 protesters were arrested, according to social media reports.

Black Lives Matter and sympathy protests took to the streets in several cities across the country. Protesters in Minnesota blocked traffic before police dispersed the crowd with smoke rounds. Similar protests took place in Chicago, Indianapolis and downtown Manhattan.

Investigators examining the suspected Dallas shooter Micah Xavier Johnson discovered black nationalist literature and tactical guides in his home. Johnson, who served in Afghanistan before being discharged, attended black nationalist meetings but was not an active or vocal member.

Police found Johnson’s journal, leading them to believe he acted alone. The content of the journal has only been partially revealed but the motivation seems to be directly related to the recent killings of African-Americans at the hands of police officers. Johnson liked several black power groups on Facebook, but friends and acquaintances say he had shown no signs of extremism.

Dallas police searched last night for a potentially threatening person, deploying SWAT teams in a multi-level parking garage. Though police found nobody, officers praised the effort as an act of caution.

More protests against police violence are expected today and in the coming days as the investigation into the Dallas shooting  continues. The apparent targeting of white police officers in Dallas and increasingly confrontational protesters have convinced police departments to plan for possible similar attacks.

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