Thousands of New Yorkers protested on Thursday morning the grand jury decision not to file charges against white officer Daniel Pantaleo for the death of unarmed black man, Eric Garner.

The rallies and marches further damaged mistrust of minority communities in police agencies since the Garner decision comes just a week after a grand jury also didn't file charges against white officer Darren Wilson over the death of black youth Michael Brown in the Ferguson shootout.

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However, the New York City protests that started on Wednesday night have so far been peaceful, unlike in Ferguson where the grand jury decision expectedly led to violent protests.

Reuters reports that peaceful assembles were held at the Grand Central Terminal, Times Square and near the Rockefeller Center.

Pantaleo, 29, told the jury in his testimony on November 21 that he didn't intend to choke to death the 43-year-old vendor whom he arrested for selling loose cigarettes. He said the maneuver he used was a takedown move that wouldn't place Garner's life in danger.

He said he felt bad about the death of Garner, whom he held by the throat because he feared they would hit a glass storefront during their struggle. Garner repeatedly complained to Pantaleo that he couldn't breathe.

Esaw Garner, the widow of Eric, didn't accept Pantaleo's apology when she appeared before the grand jury. She said the time for remorse was when Eric was shouting he couldn't breathe. Esaw added that she is now left with the burden of feeding and raising their six children.

Commenting on the grand jury decision, President Barack Obama in Washington said, the Garner and Brown grand jury decisions underscore the frustration felt by many blacks that the legal system discriminates against them.

As a result of the grand jury decision, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would hasten efforts to equip each NYPD officer with body cameras to provide "a sense of accountability and transparency."

"When something happens, to have a video record of it, from the police officers' perspective, is going to help in many, many ways," The New York Times quotes the mayor.

"And God forbid, when something goes wrong, we are going to have a clearer sense of what happened," de Blasio added.

TagsEric Garner, chokehold, protests, New York City, NYPD