(Charlie McGovern/Neon Tommy)

Demonstrations exploded across the country this week after grand juries in two cities decided not to indict officers who killed unarmed black men.

One officer, Darren Wilson of the Ferguson Police Department, shot and killed an 18-year-old Michael Brown in the street. Protests erupted across the country, with more than 300 people arrested in Los Angeles over three days.

On Wednesday, Officer Daniel Pantaleo was not indicted for the fatal choking of Eric Garner, a father of six who was allegedly selling loose cigerattes.

The social media response to both decisions was personal and passionate.

Tweeters used a number of wildly popular hashtags to galvanize protesters and to talk about their own experiences with police. 

#BlackLivesMatter

These words became a popular refrain after a spate of highly-publicized police killings of unarmed black men, including a 12-year old boy in Cleveland, Ohio. 

#AllLivesMatter

Users responded to criticism of the black lives matter hashtag with this more-inclusive version. It's been criticized for attempting to take the spotlight off of black issues. 

#NotOneDime

Consumer-driven holiday Black Friday prompted users to boycott major retailers in favor of local businesses. Organizers argued that large companies benefit from money spent by black people while ignoring social issues that affect them. 

#ICanBreathe

This is a reference to the last words of Eric Garner, the Staten Island man choked to death while being arrested for allegedly selling loose cigarettes. Garner repeatedly gasped out the words “I can’t breathe” as officers tackled him to the ground.

#CrimingWhileWhite

White people are writing about times they’ve been let off the hook by police after breaking laws, setting off further debate about American privilege. Non-whites are using this hashtag to both applaud users’ honesty and criticize what they see as whites hijacking the conversation.

#AliveWhileBlack

People are using this hashtag to highlight instances when they’ve racially profiled by police. 

Reach Staff Reporter Jonathan Tolliver here and follow him on Twitter here.