Eric Garner Death News Update: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rev. Al Sharpton Speak as NYPD Arrests Hundreds During Protests

The New York City Police Department arrested 223 people in overnight protests on Thursday, the second consecutive night of demonstrations following a grand jury's vote not to indict the police officer responsible in the chokehold death of Staten Island man Eric Garner. Many of the arrests were for charges like disorderly conduct or refusal to clear the streets, authorities told ABC News.

Protesters gathered in Foley Square in downtown Manhattan before marching across the Brooklyn Bridge, chanting "I can't breathe," words Garner was shown saying on the video recording the chokehold that led to his death, and "No justice, no peace."

Marchers also interrupted traffic near the Holland Tunnel, on the West Side Highway and Manhattan Bridge.

A brief scuffle was reported between protesters and police in Times Square but was quickly brought back under control.

There has been national unrest following the grand jury's decision not to bring indictments in Garner's death alongside a similar outcome to the fatal shooting of unarmed black teen Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Demonstrations have been seen in numerous major cities including Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit and Washington, D.C.

Civil rights leaders are hopeful about a federal investigation regarding Garner's death but still say systematic reform is needed.

At a news conference, Rev. Al Sharpton said the grand jury system is "broken" when it comes to police brutality cases.

"The federal government must do in the 21st century what it did in the mid-20th century," he said. "Federal intervention must come now and protect people from state grand juries."

Politicians have discussed police training, increased use of body cameras and changes to the grand jury process as ways to restore public trust in the legal system.

"A whole generation of officers will be trained in a new way," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

Bloasio's police commissioner previously announced training to teach officers how to better communicate with people on the street.