What a shame–Mall of America missed an opportunity to turn itself into a community gathering space where more is happening than just unencumbered commerce.

What should mall management and ownership have done:

a) call the kops, id protest leaders and arrest them?

b) permit peaceful protesters to demonstrate, burnishing the mall’s reputation as a place that cares about its customers more than their wallets?

Maybe they never watched Miracle on 34th Street?

In this scene, Mr Macy (whose name is on the building) tells two of his surprised staffers that a new policy sending customers to rival Gimbel Brothers if their department store does not have the item they are looking for, will continue and be expanded.

He explains it as follows, “This way Macy’s will be known as the store with a heart… the store that puts public service ahead of profits. And consequently, of course, we’ll make more profits." 

Here’s an open "letter” on twitter to mall management:

This protest was authorized in 1776.

Love,

America

Even Bloomberg Businessweek asks, “Is It Legal to Crack Down on #BlackLivesMatter Protest Leaders?”

Welcome to planet terror…

@ quamtum_entity