Dayton asks for no charges against airport protesters

Gov. Mark Dayton has asked Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport officials not to press charges against Black Lives Matter protesters who shut down roads to the airport.

Hundreds of protesters marched down the airport ramps on Dec. 23 after a rally that began at the Mall of America. Protesters hoped to draw attention to the death of Jamar Clark, a black man shot by Minneapolis police in November. One terminal briefly shut down and eight people were arrested.

Dayton said Tuesday he made the request because the airport protest appeared unplanned. But he also warned future rallies not to disrupt traffic at Minnesota's primary travel hub.

Miski Noor, a protest organizer, had said in December that the mall had been a decoy.

Airport spokesperson Patrick Hogan says airport officials identified 31 additional people for possible charges but decided not to move forward after meeting with Dayton.