Thousands of furious demonstrators took to the streets across the US for a second night on Thursday and kept up their protests throughout the night against a grand jury that exonerated a white police officer who killed a black suspect.

Following the hugely controversial grand jury decision not to prosecute white police officer Daniel Pantaleo over the death of unarmed man Eric Garner, more than 200 arrests were made in New York on Thursday night.

Demonstrators marched through Times Square carrying replica coffins and blocked traffic on the Manhattan Bridge, while elsewhere another group staged a “die-in.”

In Washington, hundreds marched past the US Justice Department chanting: “No justice, no peace, no racist police.”

Chicago traffic was brought to a standstill as protesters in the windy city marched on the centre.

And in New Orleans, police moved in as protesters staging a “die-in” at a holiday performance

confronted spectators.

Demonstrators also took to the streets in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis and Oakland.

Civil rights leaders joined in to publicly condemn Wednesday’s grand jury decision not to bring charges.

In New York, National Urban League president Marc Morial said the lack of an indictment in Mr Garner’s death was “a travesty of justice” after civil rights leaders met at Rev Al Sharpton’s National Action Network headquarters.

Rev Sharpton said a civil rights summit would be held following a December 13 march in Washington.

President Barack Obama also weighed in, saying that “too many Americans feel deep unfairness when it comes to the gap between our professed ideals and how laws are applied on a day-to-day basis.”

But New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio faced angry accusations by police of not supporting law enforcement after he said he worried his own mixed-race son could be mistreated by officers.

Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association head Patrick Lynch claimed that they had felt “thrown under the bus” by Mr de Blasio.

Mr Garner died after being restrained while being arrested for selling untaxed cigarettes. Mr Pantaleo had wrapped his arm around Mr Garner’s neck in what appeared to be an illegal chokehold.