A counterprotest sprung up in St. Louis on Sunday to express support for the white Ferguson, Mo., police officer who shot a black unarmed teen, adding a new wrinkle to the ongoing turmoil of the last week.
Jon Swaine, a reporter for The Guardian who is on the ground in Missouri, reported that the protesters congregated outside the headquarters of KSDK, a St. Louis TV station on Sunday afternoon.
There were about 125 protesters, according to Swaine, and one of them was black. The officer they were supporting, Darren Wilson, allegedly shot 18-year-old Michael Brown six times on Aug. 9. The shooting has prompted the clashes between police and protesters over the last week, forcing Gov. Jay Nixon (D) to call in the National Guard Monday morning.
“He was doing his job,” a protester told The Guardian.
The pro-Wilson protest lasted about two hours, according to reporters at the scene.
A silent protest in support of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, who shot Mike Brown, starting in St. Louis pic.twitter.com/Qp30uyOQPV
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) August 17, 2014
Protest is outside headquarters NBC affiliate @ksdknews, which broadcast footage of Darren Wilson’s home pic.twitter.com/HPdTct0TQb
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) August 17, 2014
T-shirts on sale with police-style badge saying “Officer Darren Wilson – I stand by you”. $7, just sold out pic.twitter.com/nhXhn4Nvmd
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) August 17, 2014
There are perhaps 125 people at this pro-Darren Wilson protest. 124 white people and Martin Baker, aged 44 pic.twitter.com/6DaAHPlQtT
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) August 17, 2014
More supporters of Darren Wilson, officer who shot Mike Brown in Ferguson, protesting in downtown St. Louis pic.twitter.com/A6kUsnzGML
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) August 17, 2014
Asked to interview a woman protestor out here. (Shown in the background.) She identified herself as Darren Wilson. pic.twitter.com/IIEpL5Xv1l
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 17, 2014
More from the Darren Wilson protest #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/lQBdAhnbfD
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 18, 2014
Protest in support of Darren Wilson just broke up voluntarily.
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 18, 2014
Image via Jon Swaine on Twitter.
The cop’s job in Furguson is to literally extract revenue from poor blacks, Ferguson receives nearly one-quarter of its revenue from court fees! http://goo.gl/MtsZYT
Gee, I wonder when THESE protesters will be tear-gassed, beaten, and arrested.
Oh, that’s right, they are WHITE.
They are also outside a TV station in St. Louis far, far away from the real tragedy in Ferguson.
What brave souls they are, risking being on TV for “Free-Dum”.
WrONG. THeSe ProTEsters ARen’t actiNG UPPIty liKE the OTHER proterSTERs.
Who organized this derpfest? Nobody looks like they care that passionately about this. Half of them are checking their phones.
Because, to this kind group of avowed non-racists, a cop’s job is to try, convict, and execute an unarmed teenager only to discover later that he was suspected of stealing a box of Swisher Sweets.
Look for George Zimmerman to be the keynote speaker at an upcoming rally.