Roughly 100 protesters assembled in St Paul to protest what they said was excessive force on a 17-year-old with autism.
At about 10:15, protesters began to march west on the light rail tracks after a rally in the middle of the intersection of Lexington and University. The group staged a die-in on the tracks before walking to the Western District police station.
Later the protesters returned to Lexington Avenue, where they said the would remain until the Vikings noon kickoff time.
Marcus Abrams, the teenager who inspired the demonstration, addressed the crowd and reporters, as did his mother, Maria Caldwel.
Some counter-protesters stood nearby, prompting a minor confrontation that organizers defused.
The counter-protesters included Jason Thomas, 33, an equipment operator from Red Wing who came to protest the Black Lives Matter demonstration.
"People shouldn't be targeted and inconvenienced," Thomas explained. He said he agrees with the overall spirit of the Black Lives Matter protest, but disagreed with its "tactics and methods,"
A tense moment developed when one of the counter-protesters flew a Confederate flag about 50 feet away from the rally taking place in the middle of the intersection.