#CrimingWhileWhite

CNN reports that, if you're white, you may be able to shoplift, drive drunk, even shove a police officer -- and not suffer the same consequences a black person might, according to trending stories being shared on social media.

#CrimingWhileWhite became Twitter's highest trending topic in the United States and a trending topic worldwide as protests continued Thursday morning over a New York grand jury's decision not to indict a white police officer in the chokehold death of Eric Garner, a black man suspected of illegally selling cigarettes on the sidewalk.

Garner's case also catapulted other hashtags into prominence in the Twitterverse, including #ICantBreathe, a reference to Garner's last words.

An attempt by the New York Police Department to acknowledge the anger also generated a storm online. The department said on Twitter that it wanted to rebuild public trust, in a post that included #wehearyou.