'Black Brunch' demonstrations against police injustice while patrons dine

UPPER EAST SIDE (WABC) -- Demonstrators are marching into restaurants to send a message while people are eating brunch.

They call the movement "Black Brunch" and are protesting what they call injustice by police, but it isn't sitting well with some.

"The time is now and every space is appropriate," said Chandra Jones, a Black Brunch participant.

Some call it an annoyance, others a form of resistance.

Inside The Barking Dog restaurant was a call to action, as part of a national movement referred to as Black Brunch.

From coast to coast, each Sunday, groups of roughly 30, people of color are zeroing in on restaurants in what they consider predominately white areas and voicing their frustrations, they say, over questionable police tactics.

"We spent four and a half minutes there to purposefully disrupt what was business as usual," Jones said.

That's the amount of time, representing the four and a half hours Michael Brown's body laid in the street, after he was shot by police in Ferguson, Missouri.

Chandra took part in the first round of demonstrations in New York City.

But don't call them protestors, the group, which started in California, instead sees this as a direct action tactic with several goals.

"Bring the issue to a group of people who have the privilege to ignore it, hopefully effect the political system so that it will change, so that it will be equitable, and that people who make laws will also abide by them," Jones

During their brief stay, the group reads the names of 25 people killed by police and also looks for others to join the cause.

As you can imagine, reaction to all of this has been mixed. One manager told me, it wasn't a big deal; others are calling the group cowards, who need something better to do.

"There's some misinterpretations, there are some decent cops in this world, but it goes both ways and people better be open," one person said.

Jones told Eyewitness News the group has received hundreds of death threats, but does not plan to put this on hold.